A New Home for the Pharaoh
by jackalope21
Summary: A new member has come to the museum to remodel the Egyptian exhibit. What happens when the young pharaoh gets curious about the young woman? Rated 'T' for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Ch. 1: A New Person in the Museum**

Laughter and some form of commotion from behind had pulled the young man from his thoughts. He had been staring off into space, wondering how different the museum looked during the day, how lifeless and stoic the displays appeared despite the fact he knew other wise. But then there was the sound. The distinct sound of someone dropping books and papers.

Larry turned and noticed a young woman walking into the museum with Rebbecca. He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her. She had thick brown hair tied up in a librarian bun, pencils sticking out from every which way. She wore thick rim reading glasses that slowly slid down her nose as she walked, over sized clothing and books and papers shoved into her hands. Despite the fact she was obviously a young woman, no more then mid-twenties, her wardrobe appeared to be that of a ninety year old woman.

With a smile and a wave from Rebbecca, Larry jogged over to their side and helped scoop up the young woman's books before carrying part of the over sized load for her.

"Thanks so much." she said kindly.

"Hey, no problem." he replied happily, shifting the books to his other arm, extending his hand. "I'm Larry Daley. I'm the night guard here."

"Pleased to meet you." she replied, shifting her own load and shaking his hand.

"This is Jasmine Kelley." Rebbecca finally said, beginning to introduce the two. "She's the new Egyptologist from Cambridge."

"That's me." she said happily. "You can call me Jazz, everyone tends to."

"So you're the one they've been talking about for the past couple of weeks?"

"Yes, guilty I suppose." she smiled. "But I will only be here for a few months, so no need to worry."

The group slowly made their way towards the back hall when Rebbecca heard her name being called over the hustle and bustle of the people surrounding them.

"Hey, do you guys have this?" Rebbecca asked quickly.

"Huh, yeah. I think we're good." Larry told her.

"Good cause it looks like they're flagging me down at the front desk. I'll catch up with you later." she smiled before running off towards the table.

They watched her sprint off, Larry smiling to himself before they began their treck through the crowds once more to the back room filled with offices.

"Why so short?" he finally asked, resuming their previous conversation.

"Hm? Oh, well... They only asked me to come and update the exhibit really. It seems there's not much traffic going through the Pharaoh's display so they asked me to come out and see what I could do about it."

He nodded his head, thinking about what she could possibly do. She wouldn't remove the tablet would she? That was the main reason he enjoyed working here so much. Seriously, how many people could say they hung out with a famous president, an indian guide, soldiers, huns, all manner of extinct animals and an ancient king every night at work? The thought honestly frightened him. It didn't matter that most of the people weren't actually _people_, they were still his friends.

"Ah, here we are."

Without him noticing, the two of them had made their way pass a few doors of occupied offices until finally coming to a halt at the door of the smallest, empty one. She smiled her contentment and headed inside, immediately placing her heavy load on the desk and motioning for Larry to do the same.

"So... you're not going to be taking anything out are you?" he asked placing his load down.

It was the only question he could think to ask and the only way he could ask it without giving away what was really bothering him.

"I don't plan on it. I doubt there's anything that would merit removal. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do however." she sighed as she sat down in her flimsy chair.

The back gave out and as she beagn to fall, Jasmine's hands came out and grasped anything close to her. Her heart was beating out of her chest and she was certain, if the crowds weren't so loud, Larry would have been able to hear it. This chair was out to get her. Slowly, she leaned forward placing most of her body weight on the sturdiest part before trying to steady her heart. This place was just full of surprises...

"My father," she began letting her breath calm. "Simply wanted me to come and ensure his exhibit was living up to its full potential."

"Your father?"

"He's the one who had them ship all of this out here." she replied with the same jovial smile that had always been on her face and replacing her voice with that of a pompus man. "Professor Alexander Kelley, head of the Egyptology department at Cambridge University."

She sat there, trying to adjust her seat and ensure the back wouldn't give out again. It was then she noticed the man before her, glancing around the room looking as though he was thuroughly out of place.

"You don't have to stay with me." she laughed sweetly. "I don't want to keep you from anything."

Larry had completely forgotten that he and Rebbecca were suppose to be having lunch before he picked Nicky up from school. Instead he had somehow become frozen in his spot in the doorway of the small woman's office.

"Oh, yeah, okay. Well um... It was nice meeting you and, I guess I'll being seeing you around for a while." he said, smacking his hands together and rubbing them nervously.

"It seems that way." she smiled.

The night guard nodded his head, waved nervously and left the tiny office. The young woman turned in her chair, want to spin like you did as a kid when you sat in a similar chair. So smiling wide, she used her foots leverage to push off and began spinning once before knocking her knee on the corner of the desk and immediately regretting it. It seemed the office was just a bit smaller then she had thought, but there was still plenty of room for what she needed. She smiled at her humble surroundings, glad to be traveling again, and quickly began to go about her business organizing her things.

As she put away the last of her papers in the rinky dink filing cabinet, she made herself ready to go upstairs and see what the damage was. Her hand pushed the file cabinet door shut only to have it bounce back. She eyed it before trying again, and again, each time the stubborn thing bouncing back at her. She groaned her disappointment and blew a piece of hair out of her face before giving up and leaving the office.

There were more people then she was used to in the museum, children running around after parents, elderly people taking the tours. All in all, it was a most impressive turn out. Jasmine slowly made her way through the maze and up the steps, admiring the impressive Easter Island head in the hallway. There was beautiful art work everywhere, life like statues adorning every display and corner, it was wonderful.

Jasmine looked to her left and got a quick idea of where she was by one of the big maps they used in malls. The Egyptian display was only a few more displays down and on her left. Slowly, she walked through the halls, still admiring everything around her like a kid in a candy shop. Then she saw it.

In a reassessed section of the wall sat a chamber. Thick black marble slabs hung everywhere, thick columns stretched from the floor to ceiling, two Anubis Guards stood proudly by the front entrance keeping the Pharaoh safe from intruders, and there on the far wall was the familiar slab she had seen in so many pictures, hanging proudly over the sleeping king. She could hardly contain her excitement as she inched closer to the boy king. There was a large difference between reading about an Egyptian Pharaoh or Queen and actually having the luxury of seeing them in person. They may have died centuries upon centuries ago, but it was almost as good as getting to meet the royal in person.

Jasmine's delicate hands traced over the stone lid to the sarcophagus, her nails tracing the carved hieroglyphics, dipping in and out of the ancient stone figures. She couldn't contain her excitement. Living around these types of things, being raised on them was nothing like getting to see them, touch them. Every artifact was different, every tomb, each one having their own story and history to tell. Her eyes glazed over the wooden coffin inside and admired how the Egyptian people treated their dead. Beautiful colors graced the lid of the coffin, detailing what the man inside looked like. Amazing.

"Pharaoh Ahkmenrah, Fourth King of the Four Kings. Ruler of the land of your father." she said quietly, almost whispering the words. "No worries friend. I am Jasmine Kelley and I have been charged with taking care of your exhibit for the next five months. There will be a bit of remodeling I suspect, but I promise to leave things as close to this as possible. Have no fear, your are in good hands." she caressed the tomb lovingly once more before changing dialect. After all, what kind of Egyptian student would she be if she couldn't read, write or speak the language of her facination? "Sleep well young king. I give you my word, things will be alright. You can trust me."


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch 2: Close Call**

"Knock, knock." a familiar voice said from her doorway.

"What can I do for you Mr. Daley?"

Larry couldn't help but jump when the young woman looked up. Jasmine giggled, forgetting the contraption she had been wearing.

She had been examining a piece of artwork rife with Egyptian texts. The writing was small and since her father was only able to fax her the photos, it was fuzzy as well. So in order to read the small hieroglyphs correctly, she had to wear a pair of magnifying goggles over her reading glasses. The side effect was her eyes were enlarged to the size of golf balls. So it was completely understandable that Larry was put off by being stared at by large, green bug eyes.

"I apologize." she laughed, pulling the contraption over her head and setting it lightly on her desk. "I was simply working. What is it I can do for you Mr. Daley?"

"Call me Larry, and uh... I'm closing up so..."

"Oh yes!" she said surprised it was so late. "Just give me a moment to collect my things and I'll be out of your hair."

"Well I don't want to rush you if it's important..."

"No it's fine." she smiled, standing to place some papers in her satchel. "I understand. Would you mind terribly if I took pictures of the exhibit before I go? They'll help me greatly."

"Sure..." he replied, unsure of what it was he was supposed to say.

The young woman's face lit up. Having pictures of the exhibit along with the blueprints McPhee had given her, she would be more then capable of organizing something. Jasmine grabbed her digital camera and satchel before leaving the room, passing the stunned night guard. Things seemed to happen really quickly when she was around.

"So..." he called after her as he jogged up the steps, his loafers clicking away as they made contact with the marble floor. "Got any ideas yet?"

"About the exhibit? I'm not quite sure yet. Perhaps I could give people a better idea of things back then and have a few slaves carved, or more photos of the temples and tombs. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Me?" he asked shocked.

He had never been asked anything like that before. McPhee didn't care what Larry had to say about everyday things, let alone something as important as this. In being confronted with this situation, he was completely dumb founded.

"Well?"

It was then Larry had realized the two of them had already made it to the display. Jasmine had already set her bag down on the floor, letting it rest against the stone obelysk, her camera in hand. She eyed him with a slight smile. Her bronzed skin reflecting the little hints of light, her young face looking incredibly innocent when she grinned at him like that.

"I've got no clue." he answered truthfully. "No one ever asked me anything like that before."

"It's a shame we can't ask him." she teased, pointing to the sleeping King as she grabbed her camera, ready to begin taking her pictures.

Larry laughed uncomfortably, partially wishing she knew how true that statement could be. But the man simply stared at her, mouth still contorted into an uncomfortable smile before glancing down at his watch. Twenty minutes until the newspaper said the sun was supposed to set.

His heart began to beat faster. Sweat formed in his palms making his hands hot and humid. The clammy hands however were nothing compared to the cold sweat forming on the back of his neck. He had to get her out of here and fast.

"So it's uh... getting a little late." he finally said.

Jasmine tore her gaze from the tablet and took a quick glance at her watch.

"Quite right." she muttered. "Let's get started."

Larry watched as she started at the entrance, muttering something in Egyptian before clicking away at the Anubis guards.

"What'd you say?"

"Hm? Oh, I more or less asked their permission to take their picture." she replied, slowly moving forward.

"You asked permission... from a statue?"

"Well, I was just being polite." she laughed. "They are the guardians after all."

"Yeah... I remember..." he muttered to himself.

It was after the unfriendly memory crossed his mind that Larry noticed her whispering something to the Pharoah before snapping a few pictures of him and the remaining areas before placing the camera in her bag.

"I believe I've gotten everything I need." she smiled. "Walk me out?"

"Yeah, no problem."

Larry ushered the young woman out as fast as he could without making it obvious he was trying to do so. When they finally reached the front, revolving doors, Jasmine smiled, and said her farewell. Out of the corner of her eye, Jasmine could have sworn she saw something. Shifting to the side, she tried to stare at something behind the young man. Larry instinctively moved with her, blocking anything she might see.

"Something wrong?" he asked sheepishly.

"No..." she muttered before finding her voice. "I just thought I saw that Tyrannosaurus move."

The young lady laughed happily at herself while Larry simply forced another smile.

"I might have been working too hard. Good night Larry."

"Yeah... too hard. Night."

The night guard quickly locked the door behind her, waving when she had turned to see the source of the hasty noise.

"That was way too close..." he muttered to himself. "Thanks you guys." he yelled to the displays as the instantly came to life. "Rexy, did you _have _to move while she was still here?"

At being scolded, the primitive hunter dipped his head low like a pet that knew he was in trouble. And like every other pet, began to shake his tail to make Larry smile.

"Okay... just be careful next time. Okay?"

The beast lept off his podium and bounded happily around the room before the familiar sound of the RC car was heard in the distance. As the creature ran off to play, Teddy came riding up on his trusted steed Tex.

"Who was that young lady?" he asked, smiling wide like usual. "She seemed rather nice."

"She is. Her names Jasmine. She's some one the museum hired to redo Ahk's exhibit."

"By jove, are they getting rid of it?"

"No, no." he replied, quelling the former president's anxiousness. "She said she was just going to add some stuff. Make people like it more I guess."

As the young woman made her way down the steps, she dug through her satchel, doing her best to locate her keys. Nothing.

"Bullocks. I must have left them in my office...."

When she turned to make her way back inside, she heard something that sounded like music. She glanced up and eyed the doors before smiling.

_Poor man must get so terribly bored in there at night. _she thought to herself as her right hand reached for the door. _I would blast my music as well..._

As she stepped closer, her hand about to knock on the door, she heard something jingle in her pocket.

"Ah, here we are!" she exclaimed as she retracted her hand. "I'm going nuts."

The young woman laughed at herself before turning once more to descend the stairs. She felt foolish for forgetting she had placed them in her coat pocket, and made her way home.

Inside, the party commenced as usual. The Huns were playing football with the Confederate and Union Soldiers, the animals were roaming free as usual and in a few moments, while Ahkmenrah joined his living friend Larry at his watching post on the balcony, overseeing everything. The two of them stood in silence watching the 'children' play. Sometimes, Larry felt like he was the father of every being in the museum, making sure they cleaned up after themselves and went to bed on time. He smiled to himself at the thought of being everything's care taker when something caught his attention. Ahkmenrah... The young man hadn't said a single word to him this entire time and the two of them had been standing there for the better part of an hour.

"Something bothering you Ahk?" Larry finally asked.

"Hm? No, nothing except..."

"Except?"

"Who was the young woman who came to speak with me earlier this evening?" he asked, turning to face the night guard.

"Oh that? That was Jazz." he wondered why he suddenly felt comfortable saying the young woman's 'nickname' after knowing her for a single day. Shaking the though from his head, he turned his attention back to the Pharaoh. "Why?"

"Jasmine Kelley, yes I know that much."

Larry shot the boy King a strange look. The man hadn't said the words with any malicious sound, but it was strange that he would know her last name.

"When did you... Oh, is that what she told you earlier?" he asked remembering the young woman had whispered something to the Pharaoh.

"This evening? No. She introduced herself to me earlier today while I slept. Such a curious young woman. Her Egyptian was flawless and she spoke to me as though I was someone she had known for a long period of time, like I wasn't another display." he paused before speaking once more. "I would much like to meet her some day."

Larry knew the last part of the statement was more or less wishful thinking on the Pharaoh's part. The man knew there was no way for him to actually meet her. There would be too many things that could go wrong if the young woman found their little secret. Still, the New Yorker felt bad for the Pharaoh. His voice told him part of him wanted to meet the young woman who seemed to know so much about his past kingdom. It had to be a rare occurrence that someone would speak directly to him and in his native tongue no less.

Instinctively, Larry placed his hand on his friends shoulder, feeling the cold metal from his collar under his touch, comforting the man. Ahkmenrah glanced up at him for a brief moment, forcing a kind smile, before looking back out over the people in the lobby.

Ahkmenrah felt slightly conflicted. He knew, deep down, that there was a risk if she found out about the tablet's magic. The people he and the other displays had come to trust, had wound up betraying them and trying to steal their livelihood. He knew from the sound of her voice she wouldn't act the same, but that thought would always be there in Larry's mind.

The young woman's words were still fresh in his mind. She had a sweet voice that reminded him of the doves that cooed in the mornings. In ancient times, doves, although they were primarily hunted for food, were also revered as a good omen for someone in love. The sweet, calming sound of her voice, the kindness behind her words reminded him so much of the sound of those birds waking him in the early hours of the morning.

"Oh, before I forget...." Larry began. "Jasmine was wondering what she should add to your exhibit. Got any ideas?"

"What do you mean?"

"She was wondering if she should put in a few wax figures or some pictures or something. So, got any clues?"

"I trust her judgment." he replied simply, meaning every word he said.

With nothing more to do for the moment, Ahk simply stood on his perch, watching the others, his mind wandering elsewhere.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch 3: Getting to Work**

Jasmine toiled over her new plans, trying to find something to solve her problem. The blue prints were laid across her desk and the pictures she had printed scattered over that. She had been doing her best to think of something that would be worthy of royalty and true to form. She didn't want it to look like another random display, thrown together by someone who didn't know what they were doing.

"I'm not quite sure what to do here..." she said loudly.

"What seems to be the problem?" a voice on the other end of the phone asked.

It was an elderly man from the sound of it, his voice drenched in a thick British accent similar to her own.

"I'm allowed a little extra room without intruding on any of the other displays, but it's a mere four feet. It may not be worth the demolition involved." she sighed, running her fingers through her hair and tossing her glasses to the table.

"It depends what you're plan on doing with it."

"Are there any other figures I could bring in? From another museum perhaps?"

"If I'm not mistaken, Kahmenrah is in storage at the Smithsonian. If you need me to, I'm sure I could pull a few strings and have him brought in? Professor London has never quite forgiven you." he teased.

"The man is a moron. It's not my fault if he didn't know what he was talking about." she snapped.

"You should have simply been polite." she laughed once more. "Are you sure you don't want me to call?"

"No. According to the texts, the two brothers were always at odds. Besides, there was the little matter of Kahmenrah being passed over for the throne. There's too much bad blood there."

"It's not as though they could continue the sibling rivalry." the man laughed.

"Father, be serious." she sighed.

"I'm sorry little Jasmine, but it's not as though the two will know the other is there."

"Perhaps a figurine of his wife?"

"There aren't any records he was married. The best we have found, were records of his betrothal. Even then, no one seems to know what the young woman looked like."

"This is infuriating..." she groaned. "I'm out of ideas..."

"No worries dear. I'm sure you'll think of something."

"Did you receive the pictures I sent you?"

"Yes, this morning. I must say, the tomb was well preserved. There doesn't seem to be much need for improvement."

"The attendance is too low though. You know how I feel about them throwing these exhibits into storage as they tend to do when something newer comes along. I just need something interesting to put in there, anything at this point will do."

"Well, there is always his brother."

She sighed again, digging her finger tips into her head to try and relieve the headache she felt at the moment. In the distance over the phone, she heard someone talking to her father. Within a few moments, he spoke up.

"It seems I'm needed for a consultation. To be continued?"

"Alright. Give me a call if you think of something."

"I will. I love you darling, and don't worry, you'll think of something."

"Love you too dad. Bye."

With that, there was the familiar sound of the phone on the other line clicking as her father hung up. Jasmine reached out and clicked the speaker phone button, ending the call completely. She stared down at the papers in front of her. Her mind swirled with so many different thoughts about what she could do, but none of them seemed good enough. She wanted to make sure she did the Pharaoh justice, not to mention impress her father.

It was her father's suggestion that brought her over the pond and to New York. Despite the fact that the young woman was more then capable of completing the task, she was much younger then the other professors, and in being so, had much less field experience. She was only twenty-four, half the age of most of the others who really wanted this job, so she had more to prove. Her father may have complete faith in her abilities, but the others were waiting for her to fall on her face. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction, but at this point, she wasn't having much luck.

_I might as well go upstairs. I could at least get a better feel for it up there..._

Slowly, the young woman rose from her seat, adjusted her shirt, and headed for the Egyptian wing. Again, she pressed through the crowds of running children and parents trying to wrangle them. A little girl let go of a balloon and cried for it. With the object just within reach, Jasmine lept up and grabbed the string for her, tied it tightly to her wrist before smiling and leaving. As she walked down the hall into the exhibit, she nodded once more to the jackal headed guards and proceeded to the tomb.

The young woman stopped near the coffin and leaned against the closest column. She stared at the colorful sarcophagus, her mind spinning with something. She hated it when things she cared about had to be retired.

Even as a child, Jasmine had an attraction to Ancient Egypt. She thought the artwork was beautiful, admired how they treated their dead, the tributes they made for their Kings and Queens, and marveled at their technological advances, thousands of years ahead of others. They were one of the first civilizations that created paper, they built monuments with none of the same tools we used today, and to this day, not everything is known about them. Everyday, they were finding new things, discovering new tombs, and new pieces of art.

It broke her heart when pieces of the past had to be cast aside to make way for newer additions. She had been raised by an Egyptology Professor true, but her father was friends with all sorts of history, science and other professors. She had a deep admiration for history and it always bothered her when these things were disregarded.

But there she stood, trying to think of something, anything, to help save this exhibit from becoming obsolete and placed in storage somewhere.

"I need your advice your highness." she finally said, her eyes glued to the resting body of the King. "I am charged with finding something for your exhibit, something to draw more people to this wing in the museum, but I can't think of anything. My father suggested I bring your brother from the Smithsonian..."

She paused, seriously considering what her father had said before speaking again.

"Maybe I should. I'm sure we could bring his sarcophagus over and have models of your parents made. A family reunion of sorts. I'm not sure though. It's a shame I can't get your opinion..."

"Am I interrupting?" a voice said from the entrance of the hall.

Turning, the young woman spotted a smiling Rebbecca with half a dozen people following close behind.

"So sorry." she laughed, her lightly bronzed cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. "I was just talking to myself."

Rebbecca smiled to her, making her feel a bit less foolish before turning to the group and stepping backwards into the exhibit. She spoke to them, telling them all that had been discovered so far about the one they referred to as 'The Boy King', which wasn't completely true. Pharaoh Tutankhamen was the true 'Boy King'. He was only nine years old when he assumed the throne. And since that is a very hard age to beat, Ahkmenrah was actually the second youngest man to assume the throne being only thirteen. That simple fact was what nearly sent his kingdom into a civil war. His brother was the rightful heir but their parents thought otherwise and instead of passing the crown to the twenty year old man, they handed it over to a thirteen year old child.

The young woman's information was partially accurate, but Jasmine could already have corrected her multiple times. For example, Ahkmenrah wasn't truly 'the' boy King as Rebbecca stated, simply 'A' boy King. But it was an understandable mistake. Another was the length of his rule. The Pharaoh was actually in control for more then ten years, not the six that was stated. He was one of the most loved rulers, his people avoiding war throughout his reign, unlike the four wars Rebbecca had said. They weren't large mistakes, but large enough to bother Jasmine. Then again, she couldn't hold it against the young woman, it's not like the Pharaoh could wake up and tell her everything about him. Jasmine had been raised around things like this and had read most of the texts pertaining to ancient times, not many of which were accurate.

"Well," Rebbecca declared loudly, clapping her hands together to gather everyone's attention. "That concludes our tour and I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you."

Slowly, the crowd of people began to file out of the small room, leaving the young tour guide and Egyptologist. When the last elderly person hobbled out of the exhibit, Rebbecca turned, face beaming with a smile, to face the embarrassed Jasmine.

"So, what were you two talking about?" she teased, her hands crossed over her stomach, swaying side to side like an excited little girl.

"I was asking for advice..." she replied sheepishly.

"About what?"

"I'm trying to think of some way to update the display, but I'm drawing a blank."

"Well what do you have so far? Maybe I can help."

"My dad suggested I have Kahmenrah brought over and I was thinking about having models of their parents made. Perhaps have them sit on a throne behind the sarcofagus of their sons."

"That sounds like a really good idea. I'm sure he's lonely being the only one in here." she smiled.

"There's only one problem." she sighed. "The two brothers have a lot of... bad blood between them. According to history, Kahmenrah never forgave his brother for beating him out for the throne."

Rebecca stared at the sleeping King, knowing that he was more then capable of hearing their conversation if he cared to listen and she was sure, if what Jasmine was saying was true, he wouldn't want his brother here. Especially since she knew exactly what would happen when the sun set every night. It was hard enough for Larry to get the animals etc. to get along. God only knew what would happen when two actual humans got together.

"But maybe my father's right. It's not as though they would know the difference. It would draw more people if the entire family were here."

"Yeah but... maybe you don't need the whole family..." Rebbecca said, trying to dissuade her from unknowingly doing something foolish.

"Then what do you suggest? I am completely stumped..."

"Well, the parents are a good idea. You could have them in the background and position Ahk's tomb to face out at their feet."

"That could work, but do you think it would detract from him? I don't want to change the focus from the main occupant, simply add to it."

"I don't know then." she sighed, completely at a lose.

"I simply wish I could ask him for his opinion." Jazz laughed slightly, pointing to the young man in the coffin only feet away. "That would make it so much easier."

"Yeah... too bad huh?" the young woman replied nervously.

Part of her wanted to tell the young woman she should simply stay after hours and she could have her answers, but it wasn't her decision. This entire thing was up to the night guard, Larry. It was up to him whether or not another person should know about his little secret. He had already risked enough showing her and his son, but he had. Perhaps it was because he enjoyed being one of the only people who knew about this magical eutopia? Who knew, but part of Larry had to know that even if she went to the press and bragged to everyone that would listen, she would sound completely insane. And with the way she dressed, similar to that of a bag lady, it wouldn't take much for people to disregard anything she said. Then again, maybe they should tell her to stay a little longer tonight?

"Well, I'm afraid I have some more planning to do." Jasmine finally said. "I really only have a few days to come up with something before it becomes a lost cause."

"Why's that? I thought you were going to be here for a few months?"

"I am, but the problem is other people. If I do any demolition, that will take a few weeks or more depending on what I do. If I have models made, that will take just as long if not longer. Same goes for things getting shipped to me. Everything just takes so much time."

"Wow. I didn't think it would be that hard."

"Yeah. Not everything is fun." Jazz laughed.

"Hey, I was about to grab some lunch, you wanna join me?"

Jasmine was taken aback by the request. Although the young woman had been nothing but gracious to her since she had arrived, she hadn't thought about the possibility of becoming friends. The young Egyptologist smiled and nodded.

"That would be lovely. Thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch 4: Curiosity**

"So, did she pay you another visit today?" Larry asked, slightly teasing the young Pharoah.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, she did." his face grim.

"Did it not go as well as last time?"

"She is thinking of bringing my brother, Kahmenrah, to the museum."

That name sent chills down Larry's back. He had met the famed 'wanna-be' king. The feeling wasn't necessarily out of fear of the man he had presumably destroyed, more out of the fact that the man had a huge complex about being passed over for the throne. there was no telling what he would do if he was in close proximity to the tablet again. But he had to remind himself, he sent the psychotic man reeling into a swirling abyss, sentenced to an after-life time of nothingness and Ahk knew this.

"But he won't be there if she does."

"True, but nothing is to stop them from making a model." he replied grimly. "Perhaps you should speak with her."

"What am I gonna tell her? I don't know anything about Ancient Egypt."

"I'm not sure, but she mustn't bring Kahmenrah here. You know as well as I the consequences would be great."

"Yeah... I know."

The two men stood there for a moment before a thought began to creep its way into his mind. The young King couldn't help it, the thought just simply came to him. His curiosity was growing with every word the young woman had said to him and he knew this may be the only way he could learn anything about her.

"Larry..."

"Yeah Ahk?" he asked turning to face the man to his left.

"Would it be possible for me to see her office?"

Larry's eyes narrowed for a moment as he tried to think of something to say. Why in God's name would he want to go in there? Maybe it was just away for him to get to meet her without actually _meeting_ her.

"Why?"

"Curiosity I suppose." he sighed.

Larry stared at the young Pharaoh as he stared out into the lobby. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea. After all it was only her office and it might keep him from asking Larry to let the young woman stay over night. The night guard smiled and slapped the King's shoulder before turning to leave. Confused for a moment, Ahkmenrah stared at the man as he walked away before following.

The trip was short, but within a few moments Ahkmenrah was standing in the doorway of Jasmine's office. Larry smiled to the young man before walking off and making his rounds. Ahk stared into the small room, honestly it wasn't very impressive. The small desk sat in the middle of the room with a single lamp, a phone and a plethora of papers and pictures on top of it. Behind the desk sat a few filing cabinets with a few doors ajar, and not much else.

The young man made his way around the desk, sweeping his cape out of the way before taking a seat. No one had warned him of the broken seat. Ahkmenrah fell back, his head piece landing hard into the filing cabinet before he could adjust himself.

He slowly leaned forward, his head throbbing from the harsh impact. Ahkmenrah swore to himself in Egyptian as he rubbed the back of his head dress. No dents at least in the soft metal. He turned, his face still wincing from the resonating pain and quickly noticed he had done some damage. His helmet had slammed into the barely open drawer with enough force to slam it shut and embedded the Eye of Horus emblem on the back of his head dress onto the thin aluminum. His face immediately flushed. How was he going to explain this?

Ignoring the damage for a moment, he turned his attention to the work she had displayed on her desk. A large piece of blue/gray paper was unrolled over the small surface, a few glossy pictures scattered over it. Ahkmenrah instantly recognized it as his tomb. He thumbed through them, admiring the shots she had taken and smiling at the attention she had paid to his coffin. Then he remembered the kind words she had said to him the day before. She truly did love her job.

He fingered through the pictures, flipping one after the other, his mind surging with excitement at the simple fact people had come so far since his time. Instead of having to draw their pictures, they simply pointed something at the object and within a split second, it was recorded forever. When he was finished, her set them to the side in a neat pile. It was then he noticed a tablet to the side. It had been hidden underneath all of the work and when he opened it, he saw something he hadn't expected. It was an art book, filled to the brim with pictures, sketches and ink drawings of so many wondrous things.

One page had an actual picture taped in the upper corner. It was a partial bust of a Queen, Nefertiti if he knew his history right. It had been worn away with time, and part of it broken. In the center of the cream colored paper was a light pencil sketch, completing the sculpture. It was amazing how accurate she seemed to be. He smiled at it, admiring how true to their technique she had remained in her recreation.

His curiosity peeked, he continued to flip through the artwork. Page after page was filled with drawings of ancient temples, broken pieces of art and all other means of reconstruction. It was obvious she prided herself on being able to complete a broken piece, she had a talent for it.

When Ahkmenrah came to the end of the book, he noticed something familiar, it was his tablet. The young British woman had already begun to sketch his tomb. He couldn't help but laugh slightly at her quick sketches. They weren't as ornate as the others, but then again, they didn't have to be. He could tell these were more for reference then anything else. The Pharaoh stared at the drawing before flipping to one the caught his eye.

It was an impressive picture. The two large Anubis guards stood facing the hallway on either side of the entrance to his tomb instead of facing each other inside it. The next picture had the left wall of the tomb, multiple paintings of hieroglyphs and other odds and ends with wax figures of his royal guard standing at attention between the columns. Next was the right wall, similar in design with the guards and writing. He could tell this one features his life story though. It was hard to read her Egyptian since they weren't completely finished, but from what he could tell it was definitely about him and written in the language, not the same gibberish the others used. Then, on the next page, was the chamber where he slept. Instead of resting as low as it did, his coffin would sit about a foot higher. Behind him was some kind of display but he couldn't seem to see it. The young man flipped the page and was relieved to see she had drawn it.

There was a large glass case with multiple trinkets inside. Prominently displayed were four canopic jars, each with a different deity on it. These four jars, every Egyptian knew. Once the being had died, their insides were extracted and dried before being placed inside a different jar. The only thing they adored enough to leave behind, was the heart. In between the center two jars sat his tablet, displayed beautifully. On either side of the jars, however were small trinkets, things he had been buried with when something that caught his eyes. There was a necklace that wasn't his. If this drawing was any indication, it was a female's necklace, and it was eerily familiar. He inched closer to the penciled sketch, trying his best to examine it when he suddenly laughed.

Why was he examining it so completely? It was only a sketch and that left a lot to the imagination. It wasn't even completed. He smiled to himself and leaned back in the chair, careful not to fall again. She seemed to have everything under control for the moment, if this was indeed what she wanted to do to his tomb. He had to be honest, he liked it the way it was, but it was cold and a bit more frightening then some people may like. It really did look as though they were walking into a tomb. Although that may have been the point, to keep it as original as possible, it could be very off putting.

As he sat there, staring down at the young woman's art work, he noticed something in the corner of his eye. Something was catching the light and reflecting it back to him, nestled nicely atop the filing cabinet next to the one he had previously hit. Turning, Ahkmenrah noticed a picture frame. Cocking his head to the side curiously, the young Pharaoh stood from his seat and took the small silver frame in his hand.

Inside the delicate frame was a picture of a young woman and an elderly man. The girl was smiling wide, her bright green eyes shining in the light as the older man held her. They two of them looked similar, most likely family. They had the same smile, but his eyes were a deep brown, nearly black, much more suiting for someone with their skin tone. Although, she was a bit lighter then him. In the background, Ahkmenrah noticed something, the Sphinx. The picture was taken in Egypt.

The King's heart fluttered with the thought of being able to return home. He longed to be back on his throne with his family, back in a much simpler time then what he had come to see here. As he admired the background, wishing to return home, he noticed writing in the bottom corner.

_~To my darling daughter Jasmine, Remember the mystery of Egypt and all of the magic it holds. Your loving Father._

_Ah, this must be the infamous Miss Kelley._ he thought to himself.

After reading that simple sentence from father to daughter, the picture took on a whole new meaning. There was now a face with the voice. The young man smiled at the photo. It matched, her voice and face. Both were delicate and innocent, although she seemed to appear much more timid then she did when she had visited him in his tomb.

Suddenly, he felt an unfamiliar feeling begin to grab at his spine. It started as a tingle as it engulfed his back, crawling up to his neck. Every hair stood on end and he didn't know why.

"Hey Ahk,"

Larry's voice made him jump, dropping the picture in the process. Each man winced as the sound of breaking glass filled the air. Slowly, the Pharaoh reached down and picked up the small frame as a broken piece of glass fell to the floor. There was a pained look on his face as he turned to the night guard.

"I am truly sorry. It seems I have made a mess of things in here..." Ahkmenrah muttered.

"Aw man..." Larry replied, eying the photo as he made his way inside. "Don't worry about it, we can just take the broken glass out and she'll never know."

Ahkmenrah handed Larry the photo and watched as he removed the few large pieces of glass there was before throwing them into the garbage bin and turning it around.

"You see? Can't even tell."

"Is that her?" Ahkmenrah asked, hoping his previous assumption had been accurate.

Larry turned the picture to face him and eyed it intently before nodding.

"Yeah. That's her. But she wears the glasses and stuff so she looks a little different in this picture." he replied handing it back to the young man. "Come on, suns coming."

"Of course."

The Pharaoh stood and placed the picture back in it's spot before gathering her things and doing his best to arrange them the way they had been. He watched as Larry walked off and waited until his footsteps died in the distance. Having very little time, Ahk grabbed a pencil that was resting in a cup on the end of the desk. He eyed it for a moment, knowing it was some form of writing utensil but not much knowing how to refill it with ink. Thinking he didn't have much time, he quickly flipped to the page of his tomb in her art book. The young man began to scribble away in the corner of the drawing.

Quickly finishing what he had started, Ahkmenrah closed her tablet and tried his best to arrange the photos the way they had been before leaving her office. With one last glance over his shoulder, the boy king couldn't help but hope that Larry wouldn't find out what he had done. With the assurance everything was in it's rightful place, or at least close enough to count, he left the room and headed to his chamber to sleep, now having a face to think of.


	5. Chapter 5

**Ch. 5: A strange Day**

She tossed and turned for the third night in a row. Her bed felt as though it was stabbing her in the back although she knew it wasn't. It was a brand new mattress, there was no way it could already feel this bad. It was her. Jasmine hadn't had much luck sleeping the past few days, every since she had first seen Ahkmenrah's sarcophagus. Something about it seemed to be haunting her dreams.

As she laid there, waiting for the allergy pill to take hold and knock her out, she began to feel a slight pain in her chest. She had been stressing out so much about work that now she was having pains when she was trying to sleep. Maybe it was just from running around and working so much... But it grew worse. The needle like pierce grew until it felt like some one was stabbing a dull blade into her shoulder. Her right hand came up and gripped her chest, right over her heart.

"Of course..." she groaned as the pain increased. "I'm thinking about work so much and now I'm having a bloody heart attack."

Her breath shortened, each gasp becoming more and more painful before she felt another shooting pain in her right shoulder. Jasmine winced as her left hand came to cradle the invisible injury.

"What is happening to me."

Her vision began to blur and before she could reach for the phone to call an ambulance, the room went black.

Screaming echoed in the darkness. Where was it coming from? It was the sound of pure pain and she wanted to help whoever it was that she heard. Jasmine ran, not knowing where she was going, just knowing she had to go somewhere. Her feet made no sound as she ran, the only thing she could hear was the young woman screaming. Looking down in the darkness she relaized she wasn't really moving. She tried to open her mouth to call out, but she couldn't. What was going on?

As she tried to figure out what was going on, she heard another voice whispering. The sound felt so close, as though it were directly in her ear. It was a man. His voice was mean and cold. His breath heated her ear as he spoke with pure hatred dripping from every word. What was that he was saying? It didn't sound right to her... It wasn't English, it was Egyptian? Why was someone speaking Egyptian?

Suddenly, the room around her lit up. She was standing in a large, open room. Candles were lit everywhere casting a golden glow over the beauty surrounding her. Figures were painted on the walls and a warm, salty breeze bellowed in from outside waving the sheer curtains effortlessly as it did. There was something going on out of the corner of her eyes and she felt herself compeled to turn.

There, no more then twenty feet from her stood seven soldiers, armed heavily as they surrounded a slab. They were wearing the usual clothing the soldiers wore in ancient times. Curiously, she continued to watch as a man came walking out from the shadows of the other room. He wore a large, green and gold head piece with Horus prominently displayed on the front. His hair was held with gold twine in a few dread locks hanging past his shoulders. His out fit was tighter then most, the same emerald green as his head piece, crossed eagle wings on the back, ornate wrist cuffs and matching boots. He was intimidating and for some reason made her feel incredibly uncomfortable.

As the man inched closer to the soldiers, they moved aside revealing a young woman laying on the slab, her wrists and feet held tightly by thick leather straps. She felt a cold chill climbing up her spine, knowing something bad was going to happen.

"You thought you could keep that from me?" he whispered threateningly. "I am not an idiot."

"I beg to differ." the young woman declared.

"How dare you!" the man hissed.

A loud crack emanated through the vast room, echoing off the walls. Jasmine's stomach lurched at the sound. There on the table was the young woman. Jasmine finally got a chance to see her when the soldiers shifted slightly. She was young, maybe twenty or so. She was a beautiful young woman wearing a typical Egyptian outfit only in silver instead of gold like the others. Her hair was tied back tightly and her light brown cheek was reddening quickly. She was facing Jasmine and even though her eyes were closed, Jasmine was more then capable of seeing a few tears escape them, resting on her black lashes before slipping over the typical black eye makeup and falling lightly down her cheek to the slab below. This was not going to stand.

The young woman fought hard against her restraints, her wrists twisting and chaffing as the leather held tight. Jasmine ran forward and hit one of the guards hard in the back. He didn't move. She kicked and punched the man and still no reaction. What the hell was going on?

"That is quite pointless you know. There's no way you can escape." he laughed.

"This is not the end, I promise you that." she hissed.

"I beg to differ." he mocked, repeating her own words to her.

As she struggled once more to escape, she felt something stab into her right shoulder. She screamed out in the same blood chilling scream she had heard before. The person holding the blade twisted it in its place before she felt another in her leg. Then another in her left leg and finally one in her heart. She felt the coldness of the steel in her skin as a warm liquid filled her chest. The taste of copper engulfed her mouth before she spent the last burst of energy she had trying to rip herself free.

Jasmine watched this, helpless to stop it. She felt her stomach churn with horrible, unfamiliar feelings as she watched they young woman take her last breath. She wanted to help her and failed. As the young Egyptian woman's chest heaved with its last breath, Jasmine noticed she was looking her directly in her eyes. The young woman's heart fell as the Egyptian girl's eyes darkened and the shine that shown brightly with life diminished.

Jasmine shot out of bed, her heart beating quickly in her chest. She glanced around the room tying to make sure she was in her own home. A dream. It was another damn dream. They were becoming more frequent.

The young woman pushed the blanket off of her and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her head fell into her hands and she did her best to steady her aching headache. That felt so real. She couldn't help but shake the feeling, that disgusting, dirty feeling after you see or do something you knew you shouldn't have.

As she sat there, her alarm clock began blaring loudly. Great, she managed to wake up before her alarm clock again. Instinctively, her hand went out and smacked the off button before she heaved her body up and headed to the bathroom to shower.

As she wrapped the towel over her body and walked into the bedroom, Jasmine noticed the bag of clothing she had yet to unpack. Over the past few weeks, she and Rebbecca had become a bit closer. On one such day while the two of them were eating lunch, Rebbecca had suggested they go shopping. She was polite in telling Jasmine that she should think about updating her wardrobe. The young woman knew she dressed a little frumpy but it was easier and there was a strategy to it. She felt more comfortable hiding within her clothing instead of being on display when what ever she was working on was more important.

After a decent amount of badgering, Jasmine conceded and the two fo them decided to hit the mall. With Rebbecca's help, she found multiple pairs of pants that would flatter her figure and shirts that wouldn't hide her completely. As though that wasn't enough, the two of them went to the optometrist and got Jasmine a pair of contacts. it was a little strange, spending so much time on herself, but she had decided to justify it by telling herself it was her congratulations for the new exhibit.

So, wondering if this was a good idea or not, Jasmine dumped out the contents of one of the bags, compiled an outfit and headed out to work. She felt foolish as she did, but it didn't much matter, she had been assured they looked good.

Her heels clicked on the marble floor as she stepped into the museum. Rebbecca was the first to see her. The guide's face lit up with a bright smile as she walked closer.

"Wow, you look good." she cooed.

"Thank you..." Jasmine answered sheepishly. "I want to thank you for taking me to get them."

"No problem." she laughed. "I'll have to catch up with you later. We're a little swamped right now, but you want to have lunch?"

"I can't. I have to call the contractors, get some estimates and contact the Smithsonian and a few others for some pieces. I'm going to be working straight through."

"No problem." she smiled sweetly. "Good luck."

Jasmine nodded slightly as the tall brunette disappeared into the crowd once more. She had to admit, she was grateful she was going to be so busy for the rest of the day, able to hide out in her office or in the tomb and let her nerves settle. That dream was still fresh in her mind.

Hours had ticked by before Jasmine finally had a chance to breath. She had been on the phone all morning, calling a laundry list of people in order to get everything situated. She sighed in relief as she leaned back in her chair, happy it didn't give away like it had grown accustomed to doing. Jasmine was tired, but there was still so much more to do. for the first time since she had moved into this office, she had to grab a file from her filing cabinet. the young woman had dreaded dealing with that stupid thing so she used it as little as possible. Unfortunately, right now it was one of those times.

So wishing she didn't have to, she turned and searched for the right drawer before noticing something. Dug deeply as though it had been stamped in the thin metal, was the Eye of Horus. She eyed it closely, her fingers touching it lightly.

"How did you get here?" she asked herself.

Shrugging it away as something she simply hadn't noticed before, Jasmine grabbed the the handle and pulled. Nothing. She grunted angrily at it and jerked it once more. Still the stubborn thing didn't move. Determined not to let the cabinet get the better of her again, she readied herself.

Jasmine grabbed the handle with each hand, gripping it firmly as she placed her foot against it. Counting down from three, she readied herself for the massive pull. As she whispered 'one' to herself, Jasmine gripped tightly and tugged with all her might. In an instant, the drawer flew from its place in the cabinet, and with the force she had pulled and the sudden give, Jasmine fell backwards over her desk, papers spilling into the air.

The sound of the hollow aluminum hitting the hard marble floor echoed loudly in her ears as she tried to ignore the pain in her backside form hitting the ground. She groaned in her head as she slowly tried to stand, hearing a few things hit the ground as she did. Suddenly, Dr. McPhee came running into her office, his mouth gaping open as he stared at her.

"What happened in here?" he asked.

"What does it look like?" she asked angrily.

"Could you not destroy _everything _you touch? I'm already letting you gut one of my exhibits. Is that not enough?"

"Perhaps you should try fixing this sodding filing cabinet before I break me neck next time?" she asked angrily as she dusted herself off and set the drawer on the desk.

The curator couldn't think of anything to say so instead of arguing further, he stormed off in a huff, muttering his incoherent, broken sentences to himself as he went. She rolled her eyes at the little man and went to work gathering the papers that had scattered themselves all over. As she picked up the papers, she would grab the other random objects that hit the ground as well. Her phone for example, lay only a foot from where she had landed, a dial tone sounding loudly until she placed the phone back on its receiver and the whole thing on her desk. Pencils lined the floor, rolling in every which direction and one thing that almost broke her heart. Laying on the floor was the picture of her and her father face down. She sighed, hoping it hadn't broken as she stretched out her hand. Jasmine found herself closing her eyes for a moment before flipping the frame over and noticing there wasn't any broken glass. In fact, there wasn't any glass at all. Fear of it breaking was quickly replaced with curiosity. She was certain there was some there before hand, so where was it? Perhaps she had broken it at some point and forgotten? Yeah, that had to be it.

Jasmine placed it on her desk this time instead of the evil cabinet, grabbed her file, sketch book, and cell phone and headed up to the Egyptian wing. Droves of people lined the halls again until she reached the wing. Honestly, her heart fluttered to see a few people walking around, looking at the Egyptian display, it made her happy but unfortunately it was going to be shut down soon. She waited for a few moments, just until the spectators had left before she headed inside.

She smiled at the guards and set off towards the sarcophagus. Jasmine admired the coffin once more before setting her things down onto the glass top.

"I'm sorry, your highness, for setting these here, but I'm afraid you're the only thing I can use for a table. I mean no disrespect." she told the sleeping King.

Slowly, she flipped through the pages of her sketch book until coming to the sketch of the glass case she wanted to have placed behind the tomb. With the page displayed, she opened her file and began to search for the number she needed.

There was a manufacturer in Paris that specialized in recreating ancient pieces. Surprisingly enough, Ahkmenrah's canopic jars were not found in hsi tomb, most likely pilfered at some point after his burial. So instead, she was going to have four of them made. With a flick of the wrist to open her phone and a speedy dial, she waited for the answer.

"Bonjour." she said happily to the man on the other end.

The conversation commenced. It took a bit of bartering and name dropping on her part, but she finally got the man to agree on a decent price for the jars. Being they were recreations, but the fact that there was going to be five instead of four and that she wanted the materials as close to what they would have been before, the price was a steady four thousand dollars for the group. An extra grand was added for the rush of a month, otherwise it would have taken nearly three. Since the man was an old friend of her father's and again, more name dropping, he was more then happy to do it quickly. the deities however was more or less up for debate, but Jasmine wanted him to at least include Basset, Anubis, Horus and whomever he thought worthy.

Next on the list, was the staff at the Smithsonian. They had, in storage, the trinkets she wished to include. This conversation was going to be the equivalent of pulling teeth. the head of the Smithsonian's Egyptology department was, for lack of a better term, an ass. He was pompous, arrogant, and thought he knew all there was to know about ancient Egypt. It was sickening. As the phone rang, Jasmine felt her heart stop.

"Egyptology department, this is Angela can I help you?"

She despised the fact the people answering the phone made it seem like she was calling a hotel.

"Professor London please." she muttered before sighing. "Tell him it's Jasmine Kelley."

"Hold please."

She knew the reaction the man was going to have at hearing her name. Ever since that little ordeal a few years ago, he always avoided her and her phone calls. Apparently a forty-seven year old man that spent his life researching and teaching Egyptian history didn't like being corrected by a seventeen year old girl, multiple everyone else found it funny, he didn't.

"Jasmine, how may I help you?"

The voice on the other end of the phone may have asked a polite question but the tone of his voice was anything but.

"Professor, how are you?"

"What is it you want?"

Skipping the answer to a simple question was never a good sign.

"I have called about a few things you have in storage."

"Oh, and what might those be?"

"I have a list here, of things you haven't had on display for more then four years, a few artifacts that I would like to have sent to the National History Museum here in New York."

"Which are?"

"Let me see..." she said, thumbing through the other papers in her folder. "Ah, here we are. I need all of the artifacts that you have that were found in the Ahkmenrah tomb."

"I don't believe we have any of those." he snipped.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. She knew they had them. She had printed this list not too long ago and it was unlikely the pieces were sent to another museum, he was simply being difficult.

"You and I both know you have a head piece, scepter, writs cuffs, and the necklace of Isis in you possession."

"Ah, those are the pieces you mean. I'm afraid you can't have them."

"And why not?"

"It has come to my attention those pieces are about to be added to our own exhibit. So sorry." he added sarcastically.

"The list I have is no more then a month and a half old. There is no way they are being moved."

"Well I'm afraid that list is old. This was just decided."

There was a slight hint of a laugh in his voice as he spoke and it infuriated her to no end. She knew he was toying with her. Little did he know, she was going to get those pieces whether he wanted her to or not.

"So, if I call Mr. Jefferey, he will be able to send me the revised list?"

She smiled wickedly at the sound of him intake his breath. It wasn't a gasp, but she knew it was something close. It delighted her to no end that the bitter old man on the other end of the phone was most likely glaring at her, wishing he could burn a hole through her.

"When would you like them?" he finally asked.

_There's a good boy..._ she thought to herself, happy she had just 'one-upped' him once again.

"As soon as possible. Would you be able to have a truck bring them down today?" she asked, her voice cheery.

"It will take us a little while to locate them. We can have them to you by Friday."

She sighed. Friday was her first day off in a few weeks and she knew she was going to have to be here to sign for the objects. They were her responsibility after all. But by the end of a five day period, at the most, she would have some of what she needed.

"That will be just fine. I'll be here waiting. You have my number to let me know when they're meant to arrive?"

"I do." he snapped.

"Well have a good day Professor London. Thank you again."

There was no retort, instead the clicking sound of him slamming his desk phone down in frustration. Small victories is what made the day more fun. Pulling a pencil from the bun she had in her hair, Jasmine scratched off the jars and artifacts, now came the warriors and contractors. She was grateful that there wasn't going to be any main renovations. The most they were going to have to do was 'uproot' a few of the smaller things that had been bolted to the ground and move them. She was overjoyed she didn't have to remove a wall or anything else. That simple fact meant the exhibit was onyl going to be closed for about two weeks and the main pieces didn't have to be removed and put into storage, instead they would be put to the side.

As she closed her folder and moved it to the side, she noticed something in the corner of her sketch that wasn't in her writing or part of her design. In the upright corner, were glyphs. They didn't belong to anything and she may have been losing her mind lately, she knew this wasn't her, mainly because it was addressed to her.

_~Jasmine, I pray these are you plans and I apologize for your picture. I did not mean to break it. I hope you forgive me. Your artwork is wonderful as well.~_

It wasn't signed but whoever it was, knwe how to write ancient Egyptian, that narrowed the list quite a bit. She eyed it, reading it aloud over and over before finally remebering she had work to do. As she grabbed her phone, ready to call a contractor Rebbecca entered with a few people on another tour.

"Oh I'm sorry." Jasmine said, grabbing her things and taking a few steps back. "Please continue."

She stood in the background as the young woman repeated her monologue like she had last time Jasmine had been there. It took the same amount of time as she spouted the same incorrect information. Once she was done, Jasmine couldn't help herself, she bounded out, quickly stopping the young guide.

"Can I ask you something Rebbecca?" she asked sheepishly.

"Yeah, what do you need?"

"Does anyone else here study Egyptology?"

"No." she laughed. "That's why you were brought in. Why?"

"Well, this might sound a bit strange but..." she turned and grabbed her sketch book from the spot she had set it on the cool marble floor. Quickly, she flipped through the pages and found the one with the random message. "While I was going through my designs, I found this."

She handed it to the young woman who looked at the random pictures, unable to tell what they said. She still smiled politely and handed it back to her.

"It says," Jasmine smiled. "Sorry for breaking your picture, I enjoy your artwork and I hope thses are you plans for the crypt... more or less."

"Picture?"

"That's the strange thing. I had a mishap with my filing cabinet and the picture of me and my father fell to the floor. I thought there would be broken glass but the glass was already removed. I found a small piece in the side, but I thought I had simply beokne it and forgotten about it."

Rebbecca eyed her, unsure of what to make of the situation. She suspected she knew who wrote it but how would he have gotten into her office? The only person with keys was... Larry.

"Sounds like you might have a secret admirer." she teased.

Jasmine cocked her head at the thought.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, some one obviously knew you were an Egyptologist and thought they should write you a note in Egyptian."

"Who would go through that much trouble? I mean, to learn a dead language?" she asked, peering down at the paper. "Perhaps I'm just going daft."

"I don't know." she smiled, briefly eying the tomb behind the young woman before Jasmine looked up at her. "I'll tell you what. Why don't you write them a note and leave it on your desk. then if they write you back, you'll know you're not crazy. What do you think?"

Jasmine looked at her before smiling and giggling slightly, brushing it off.

"I think I should get back to work." she laughed.

"Alright, but you might be surprised if some one wrote you back." Rebbecca said, nearly yelling it.

Jasmine stared at her again, wondering why she was speaking so loudly when she was only two feet in front of her.

"You are an odd one aren't you?" Jasmine teased.

"I do what I can." she smiled before turning to leave.

The young woman smiled at her new friend as she disappeared around the corner and out of sight before returnign to her work. She placed her things back on the tomb before going back to her estiments.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ch. 6: Trouble with the Tomb**

Finding someone to work on the tomb around so many old and expensive pieces however, was more of a problem then she had thought it was going to be. Either the men wanted far too much or refused to do it at all. She had a budget, people seemed to forget that. She did have a set budget. It may have been more money then some people would make in a year, but when it came to things like this, it wouldn't stretch very far. People don't realize that when it comes to working around irreplaceable things like this, you had to be willing to spend a pretty penny and with five thousand spoken for the jars, a nice chunk set aside for the 'rental' of the artifacts and the near hundred thousand dollars it was going to take to have half a dozen soldiers made from wax, she was only going to have a little left over.

She was on the phone right now, haggling with one of the companies most of the museums in the country used. They were a decently priced but she was having a problem with the Anubis guards. The company was refusing to move something so large for the price she was able to pay. They had been fine with moving the tomb, the placard behind it and a few other things but at the mention of having to move two forty-eight foot statues made of pure stone, the man nearly had a coronary.

"We can't be responsible for something that size ma'am."

"I don't need them moved to another building, or out of the exhibit for that matter. Each one simply needs to be moved about thirty feet or so. I just want them placed facing outwards instead of in like they are."

"We can't do it. The equipment needed to move those suckers would be way too big to even fit in the, tomb was it? We just can't. The other stuff is fine, but not those."

"What's this bloody difference? The ceilings are at least ten feet above the statues heads and they had to be put in here some how."

"Look, we've done a lot of business with them, but I don't want to risk it. If one of them broke, my company wouldn't be able to pay for it. Our insurance company would drop us and you guys would be out a statue. I don't want to risk it. I'm sorry Miss Kelley."

The young woman was losing her patients with the man. She had dealt with the same company before and knew they were more then capable of doing this but the new guy they had in charge wasn't willing to do it. The young woman held the phone away from her mouth and swore in French. She was grateful there was no one around because the words she mumbled would make most people uncomfortable. When she took a deep breath and regained her composure, she spoke again.

"So you're telling me you're only willing to move the crypt and panels?"

"Yeah, basically."

"Will you be able to disguise the damage?"

"Oh yeah. You won't even be able to tell they were moved."

She sighed once more, relinquishing her control over the situation. She hated it when people backed out on her like this. Only a few weeks ago when she had decided to do this, they had told her they were willing to do anything she needed, but now they weren't. Typical.

"Fine. I suppose I have no choice. When will you be able to start?"

"We've got a job to finish first, but we should be wrapping that up in about a week or two. Then we got to come out and see what we're working with and get materials. So... we should be able to start... how's the end of next month work for you?"

She sighed again.

"How long will it take?"

"Depending on what needs to be done and how many people we got, anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month."

Jasmine pulled the small clip on calendar she had in the back of her folder. On it, she counted days. It was already the middle of March and she was suppose to leave the middle of June. He wasn't going to be able to start until the end of April, if that and it would take him through to May to finish. It was cutting it close.

"That should be fine if you can stay on schedule." she replied, an irritated tone in her voice.

"Alright. I'm gonna put you in the books and I'll be sending you an invoice soon. We appreciate your business." he said happily.

"Thank you."

With that, she ended the conversation. This was cutting it too short for what needed to be done and she didn't like it. If her schedule was flexible, it wouldn't have been a problem, but she had to be back at Cambridge in June to start an excavation with her father. He had gone through too much trouble to get her that spot and there was no way she was going to miss it.

"It seems things aren't going completely according to plan your highness." she mumbled to the painted face under the glass.

She rolled her eyes at the inconvenience of the movers and went back to her work. Grabbing the small calendar, she circled the day the artifacts would arrive, making a small note to the side, marking when the jars would arrive and finally the movers. But looking at her work, she knew she was forgetting something, the guards. Flipping through her papers, she searched for the number. Her frustration grew when she couldn't find it, relieved when it was found hidden under her sketch book.

It was a German company that produced the best wax figures. She didn't want to have to go out of country and normally she wouldn't. Half of the figures that were molded in the musuem were done in the U.S. if not in the state, but unfortunately, some of those businesses had gone under or been sold to a larger company. The next cheapest with the best work, was the German one.

She dialed the extensive phone number and waited for someone to answer. A cheery woman picked up the other end of the line, her voice alone making Jasmine feel better about everything. The two conversed for a few moments before getting down to business. Jasmine informed the woman of what she would need and when she would need them by but there was a problem. The older woman on the other end of the phone informed Jasmine that it would be nearly impossible for them to mold six soldiers, paint them, clothe them and ship them before her deadline.

Jasmine was nearly begging the woman to find some way but she couldn't. Their staff was cut in half recently and there was going to be no way they could have them with in the three month time period. It would take too long for them to fabricate their uniforms and weapons then create the molds and have everything fitted in short time period. Again, Jasmine tried to get her to find some way but there wasn't. The older woman apologized for the inconvenience and informed her that there was a company near her that would be able to help. She told her there was a wax factory in Poughkeepsie New York that had done wonderful work. Jasmine thanked her after getting the number and hung up.

She hated this part. She enjoyed reading about history, visiting the places of her interest and getting involved. She hated playing secretary and running around with people on the phone. Honestly, she was never much of a people person. She always felt more comfortable around the mummies then she did a living person. At least mummies never judged you by your appearance like people tended to. Oh well, it had to be done.

She dialed the number and waited, praying they were still in business.

"Hello?"

"Is this Wax Models and Figures Inc?" Jasmine asked nervously.

"Yes it is. How may I help you?"

"Oh thank God." she laughed. "I have to order six Egyptian soldiers."

"Alright. How would you like them done?"

"Well, I would like them to be about six feet tall, or at least life size. And hopefully dressed to the hilt. Do you think you can do it?"

"Oh we can doing it honey, but when do you need them by?"

"Hopefully by the end of May at the latest. I need them for the Egyptian department for the National History Museum down here in New York city."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. Jasmine felt her heart nearly stop as she thought about the fact that it may not be done. She didn't want to have to go through and redo her plans because two parts of it couldn't be done.

"I'm not sure we can get it that soon."

Jazz sighed heavily. Of course not.

"May I ask why?"

"Well, making the models for six individual wax figures takes a lot of time. I mean, yeah we use one model but carving their faces takes along time and we need a model for the mold and the guy we usually use is gone. He's not going to be back for a while and by then it's be cutting it pretty close."

"I would be more then happy to drive up there and help."

"Help? With what?"

"Anything you need me to do. I could carve their faces or paint them or sew their clothes." she replied, not caring how desperate she sounded.

Then she heard something she wasn't expecting, laughter. The woman on the other end of the phone was laughing at her. It wasn't a mocking laughter, more just a happy kind of laugh.

"You must really want these guys made."

"You have no idea how much. I need to finish this display but I've been met with nothing but trouble. If you're willing to let me help out, I would be more then happy to."

"I don't think that would be a problem but we still need a model for the figures."

"Leave it to me. I'm sure I could find someone." she said, smiling at the thought of tricking the only man she had come to meet into doing this. Poor Larry.

"Well then, I'm sure we could work something out then. When should I be expecting you?"

"How about tomorrow? I would be more then happy to drive up there. Let's say around two?"

"That's fine. We're open till eight."

"Splendid. Who am I speaking with by the way?"

"My name's Teresa Houston."

"Nice to meet you Miss Houston, I'm Jasmine Kelley."

"Well pleased to meet you. Until tomorrow then."

"Yes. Good bye."

Finally, good news. Jasmine's face lit up with a smile. It may have been something small to normal people but this small victory made the fact that the guards couldn't be moved seem irrelevant.

"Brilliant." she said aloud. "Bloody brilliant. Well my Pharaoh, it seems things are back on schedule and come the end of May, you shall have a new home and a few more body guards lining your halls."

As she scooped up her papers and placed the folder within the pages of her sketchbook, the small message caught her eye again. She stared at it, hesitating to close her book, still thinking about what Rebbecca had said.

"Maybe I should leave a letter." she finally said. "I would be interested in finding out who left me this little note. I doubt it's an admirer. Although," she laughed. "That would be interesting."

She looked down at the crypt as she closed her book and held it to her chest.

"I won't tell if you won't." she said to the sleeping Pharaoh. "Goodnight my King."

She didn't know why she had just called him her King. The words still rang in her head as she left the exhibit leaving a smile on her face. They just slipped out and she hadn't felt the need to stop them. Oh well, it's not like he could hear her.

The young woman headed to her office and relished in the fact that she was going to be able to leave soon. She loved her job, true, but after the stressful day she had and the nightmare from the night before, she was more then ready to head home and soak in a long bath. As she sat in her chair, she thought about what Rebbecca had told her about leaving a note for the person who had written her. It wasn't a bad idea. Not many people could reach ancient Egyptian and she figured there were only two of them in this museum, her included. She would be able to leave it lying on her desk and anyone who say it would think it was something for her work. Not to mention, she was curious.

As Jasmine sat there and wondered what to write, Rebbecca came walking through her door with a wide smile on her face.

"I just wanted to say good night." she smiled, hanging herself from the doorjamb. "You heading out?"

"Yeah. I've just got a few things here to take care of before I leave." she smiled sweetly.

"Alright. So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Actually, I'm heading up to Poughkeepsie to get the models started. I'm not quite sure when I'll be back."

"Okay, well I'll see you later then."

"Bye." she smiled, waving to the enthusiastic brunette.

So there she sat, alone again and staring at a piece of paper, trying to think of something to say to her invisible pen pal. Perhaps she should start with asking who the hell she was talking to? Or maybe why they were in her office? Or perhaps why they were going through her things? All of them sounded like a good idea.

_Who are you? Forgive my boldness, but I would like to know who you are, how you had gotten into my office, and how you are able to write in Egyptian? I was unaware there was another in this museum who could do so. And another thing, I have to say I feel a bit betrayed that you were going through my things. It is quite rude after all._

The young woman looked down at the figures she had drawn to illustrate her words and frowned. The letter that she had written had quickly taken on a scolding tone. She didn't want to accuse whoever had gone through the trouble of learning the language, but that seems to be exactly what she had done.

"This is ridiculous..." she sighed, crumpling the paper and tossing it to the side. It hadn't quite rolled off the top of her desk into the waste bin, but she wasn't paying attention. She simply wanted to go home for the moment and take a large amount of asprin. Jasmine grabbed the pieces she was going to need at home and headed out, glad to be leaving before Larry came walking in and surprising her again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Ch. 7: A Night in the Pharaoh's Head**

_The young woman felt warm in his arms. He smiled inwardly to himself as his chin rested on her head. The two had been apart for far too long and he had grown tired of waiting for a chance they could be together. _

_The sounds of the people in the courts carried effortlessly through the air, the breeze bringing them to the couples ears. The young man held her close before pulling away slightly. She peered up at him, faceless. It was jarring at first but he never felt as though he didn't know her. The strange part was, only her eyes shown through the haze, brightly colored and clear as day. He smiled kindly to her and dipped low for a kiss. His lips made contact with hers despite them remaining unseen. They were soft, and supple. He nibbled at them, devouring the taste that seemed to be sweeter then anything he had ever tasted before._

_The young man felt her coo as he delved further into her mouth. He was happy, for the first time in a long time, he was happy. Nothing was going to take her away from him now. Despite his fiance, a woman he found detestable, he had managed to find time to be with this young woman._

_The woman his parents had chosen for him as an infant had grown into a spoiled, ugly, arrogant, and cold hearted person. Honestly, she would be better suited for someone like his brother being she was closer in age to him, but she wasn't. The young man had to be married to a woman that was nearly ten years older then him and had perhaps the worst reputation. If his parents were alive, they wouldn't stand for someone like her._

_But right now, he didn't have to deal with her. He was with the young woman he wanted, holding her tightly, knowing that she felt the same for him. The young man held her tight and began to fall forward, her onto her back. He felt her pull back from him, gasping before her back hit the soft, papyrus stuffed bed. When they had situated themselves, she smiled kindly, her eyes still the only thing he could focus on._

_"I have never been happier." he whispered, smiling as he moved a few strands of hair from her face._

_"We can not continue this..." she muttered, her voice soft._

_The young man's face dropped. Those weren't the words he wanted to hear._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"You are soon to be married and your brother has been watching closely. Things are not safe any longer. I'm afraid, my mother and I will be leaving Cairo tomorrow night... We're taking the tablet too." she whispered, her delicate hand coming up and lightly touching his cheek. "I am sorry."_

_"He is not a problem." the young man said, trying to reassure her the best he knew how. "My brother will not find out."_

_"If he does, you will lose the crown and I will not have that on my head. He is too close."_

_"Closer then you think my dear."_

_The new voice made the two of them jump, staring into the darkness of the corner. Her back tightened and the young King felt her shake within his grip. Out from the shadows stepped an imposing man with an evil grin on his face, seven soldiers standing behind him._

_"Ah, little brother. It seems you have been busy."_

_Infuriated for the disturbance, the young man stood from his bed, eying his older brother angrily._

_"You will leave here now." he hissed._

_"I think not." his brother replied, almost singing the words. _

_With a wave of his hand, the seven men surged forward and seized the young woman, gripping her tightly in their hands. She screamed as they heaved her into the air, her wrists and ankles clamped securely in their grip. Fighting valiantly against them was not enough. The large men simply held tight, walking out of the room with the young girl in hand._

_"No! Ahkmenrah! Help me!" she screamed, her voice wavering and shaky._

_Her voice echoed in his ears sending his heart plummeting. Her eyes looked pained to him as she stared into his soul. She was frightened and there was no hiding it, tears streaming from her beautiful eyes._

_"I will have your head for this! Where are you taking her?"_

_"That is none of your concern little brother. You have to realize you can't have everything. Either the crown or the mistress and since mummy and daddy loved you sooo much and gave you the entire throne, I think I can have her." The smile that crossed his lips made the young King's blood chill._

_"I will not stand for this." the man hissed again._

_"You have no choice baby brother. If you go after her, the Queen will know and there is no telling what damage she might do."_

_He could tell his brother was thoroughly enjoying this. It was true, the young King couldn't do anything about it without giving his brother a chance to take there was no telling what that man would do if he had an entire army at his disposal._

_There was nothing he could do for her. He was helpless, for now. Once his brother was gone, he was going to take his army and have them all arrested and gods only know what after that. But for now..._

_Before she disappeared, she mouthed one simple word that hurt him more then anything she had said so far. 'please'. All the man could do, was look away for the moment, his head spinning with what he could do once he had the chance. He will save her. Even if it took him a lifetime or longer, he will rescue her from his brother's grasp._

A loud thud woke the sleeping Pharaoh from his dream. He was grateful. Though it had started out so well, it had soon turned. His stomach still churned as he stood from his tomb, the feelings of hurt, desperation and the image of that young woman were still burned in his brain. He felt dirty, horrible and a whole other mixture of things he didn't like. Why did he have that dream? It was far too disturbing to be one of his normal ones. Even then, he never really dreamed. He would always listen to what the people around him said, enjoying the conversations they thought were private until he remembered, he had a visitor today. Jasmine.

He remembered hearing her while she had been talking on the phone to the different people and the words she had sworn in French. It made him laugh. Then he remembered what she had said about writing him back. His heart began to pump. He was excited.

The young Pharaoh made his way down to the main hall and into the room before being stopped by Larry.

"Hey Ahk, where ya going in such a hurry?" he laughed.

"Oh, well... I wanted to see how the plans are going for the exhibit. I heard her talking to a few people today. I was simply curious."

"Oh, okay..." Larry replied, not completely believing him. "Well here. You'll need this if you want to get into her office."

Ahkmenrah held out his hand and waited for Larry to hand him a small brass key, the key to her office. He had barely let the metal warm in his hand before he placed it in her door, unlocking it quickly and going inside. He glanced around happily, a smile on his face until he saw nothing. The excitement faded. There was no note, no letter, nothing waiting for him.

Ahkemenrah slumped into her chair, careful not to fall once more. He had wanted something to be left behind for him. It wasn't often he found someone to talk to, someone that spoke his language and talked to him like a person instead of a dead thing sitting in the corner. She treated him like a human and he appreciated it. The young man hoped she would have left him something just to show she had cared in the slightest.

As he stared at her work, he noticed a piece of crumpled up paper, discarded off to the side. Curiously, he reached for it, gently opening it so he may read. His heart lept, it was from her and he assumed it was to him. He read her note, smiling that she had at least attempted a pleasant letter.

It was obvious she had been irritated with him for getting into her things and rightfully so. He had no business doing it, but he let his curiosity take over. She intrigued him and he didn't know why. All he wanted to do, was to find out as much as he could about her. For now at least...

Reaching for a pencil, Ahkmenrah began writing his response. She had been so sweet to him when she spoke to him and he truly did feel bad about breaking her picture, but he wasn't about to tell her who he was, he couldn't. Perhaps slight hints were the best he could do.


	8. Chapter 8

**This is just a little middle ground of a chapter. The next one's more interesting, promise. :)**

**Ch. 8: A Mold of Larry.  
**

"Hey Larry!" a voice called out from somewhere in the distance.

The young man turned, trying to find the source and not having much luck.

"Larry, down here."

Still searching, Larry finally saw the young woman he had come to know relatively well trying to make her way across the cross walk to his side of the street. He waited patiently for her to make her way to the steps of the museum. It was Larry's day off and he was just coming to pick up his paycheck with Nick. Honestly, he wasn't really expecting to run into anyone, but here you are.

"Larry, I'm glad I ran into you." Jasmine said with a smile before noticing the young boy. "And who's this?"

"This is Nick, my son. Nicky, this is Jasmine. She works in the museum."

"Pleasure to meet you Nicky. You can call me Jazz." she said, smiling as she shook the young boy's hand.

"Hi. Nice to meet you too."

"What can I do for you?" Larry finally asked as the three made their way inside.

"Well, I've come to ask for a favor." she replied sheepishly.

He didn't like the way she said that. In his life time, he had come to learn that if anyone asked you anything in that certain way, it was going to be something you didn't want to do. He almost dreaded asking.

"What is it?" he asked nervously wincing.

"Well I'm not going to ask you to do anything that will hurt you." she laughed, noticing his expression. "I wanted to know if you could be the body mold for my soldiers?"

The question completely blind sided him. Larry had no idea how he was supposed to answer let alone act when asked something like that. How many times in your lifetime were you going to be asked to be a mold?

"I...uh... what?"

"For the exhibit. I need someone to model for the molds I need. Please?"

She was nearly begging him, not in a desperate way but in more of a humorous way, holding her hands together and mocking a pouting lip. He just stared at her for a moment, trying to find something to say.

"Uh... I don't think so." he finally answered.

Her heart immediately fell. There had to be some way she could get him to do it. There was no other choice, it had to be him. And then she noticed Nick. A smile crept across her lips as she looked at the boy. He turned to her, the same malicious grin visible.

"Hey Nick."

"Yeah?"

Larry turned, hearing the tones of their voices changing. The conversation was being staged and he didn't like where this was going. Slowly, he shifted until he was looking at both of them, almost scared to ask.

"What would you think if your dad was immortalized forever as an Egyptian soldier?" Jasmine asked cunningly.

"I think it would be awesome." he smiled. "I mean, I could tell people my dad was cool enough, they used him for a display."

"And the models would be with the Pharaoh all the time, no matter where he went. Too bad he won't do it."

"I know..." Nick replied, glancing at his dad before looking back at her. "Oh well..."

"Too bad..." Jazz added, the two of them exagerating their disappointment.

"Fine." Larry finally answered. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Really?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah. Why not? I mean, it could be cool right? And how hard could it be?"

"Oh thank you Larry." she exclaimed, coming up and hugging him tightly, something the man wasn't expecting in the least. "You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"No problem." he replied nervously, his arms out to the side until she let go. "When do you want to do this?"

"Today?"

"Today? Are you serious? me and Nicky were going to go catch a movie."

"Don't worry about it dad. This'll be more interesting." he smiled.

"You sure?"

Nick nodded excitedly.

"Splendid. Let me get the directions and we can go ahead and leave."

The two men watched as she pushed her way through the people before disappearing into the back rooms. Larry slowly turned to his son, one eyebrow cocked.

"What'd you get me into?"

"What?" Nick asked innocently. "I think it'd be cool to have a couple guys running around here at night that you helped make. Besides, Ahk's the only Egyptian guy in this whole place. He deserves having something right?"

"I guess."

"Speaking of, does she know about him yet dad?"

"Hm? No." he said, looking out to make sure she wouldn't wlak up in the middle of their conversation.

"Why not?"

"I don't really know how she'd take it. Besides, she's not going to be here too long and I don't want everyone finding out about this place. There's no telling what could happen. You remember Cecil."

Nicky nodded. The first time he had ever come to see the museum at night, that old man started a hell of a lot of trouble. He was greedy and tried to frame his dad while making off ith the tablet and Nick didn't want anything like that to happen again either. But she seemed a lot nicer then that. She seemed to at least care about people but who knows. Larry had never suspected the nice old, white haired man, and look what he did.

They drove for a while before finally finding the large warehouse. It was in the middle of a lot of run down buildings, blending in perfectly. It was huge, at least three stories. Windows linned the entire upper floor letting in as much light as possible, but it looked so old. How could this place be where they made the wax figures? The three of them eyed the building suspiciously before following Jasmine inside.

"Hello?" she called as they walked into a small reception area at the front of the building.

There was no response. On the reception desk, sat a small bell, the kind you'd find in a hotel. Jasmine rang it a few times, hoping that some one was there to hear it. Within a few seconds, a small, round, older woman with frizzy 'blue' hair came waddling into the reception area. She wore bad clothing covered in all manners pf debris. There was no telling if it was paint, plaster, or some kind of clay. She had thick glasses on that made her eyes massive and the sweetest smile Jasmine had ever seen.

"Hi there." she said happily. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm Jasmine Kelley. I called yesterday and spoke with..."

"Me." she laughed. "I've been expecting you. Come on dears, follow me."

She ushered the three behind the desk and through a large door. On the other side was the most awe inspiring thing any of them had ever seen. The ceiling was completely open, at least thirty feet in the air. Molded figures they recognized from horror movies and others were scattered everywhere along with masks, tolls, and bloddied body parts. These people made everything. It didn't matter if it was for a movie or a museum. nick was suddenly very glad he came along. This was by far the coolest thing he had ever seen.

"I take it this is your model?" the small round woman asked.

"Oh yes. this is Larry. He's been kind enough to agree."

"Not bad." the little old woman laughed looking the man up and down. "Not bad at all. You've got good taste honey."

"Thank you." Jasmine laughed.

She wasn't sure if it was a compliment for her or Larry. Either way the man was uncomfortable and she couldn't help but smile.

"We've got everything set up over here." she finally said, waddling around a corner and presenting a working area. "We've been waiting on you to show up."

Everything they were going to need was already there. The plaster casting material, the wax for the molds, everything.

"This is wonderful Mrs. Houston, thank you again."

"Oh call me Teresa." she laughed. "Tell me darling." she said, turning her attention to Nick. "Do you like monster movies?"

"Yeah." he said with a wide smile. "Of course."

"Well this might get a little boring so why don't you go down that isle there and see what Jack's making. I think you'll like it." she smiled.

Nick shot his dad a questioning look and with a nod of approval, he headed down the isle Teresa had pointed to, waiting to see what might be on the other end.

"Alright now dear, strip."

The phrase caught Larry by surprise and the reddening of his face was more then enough proof. Jasmine smiled, it was adorable how nervous he was.

"What?"

"We need a body mold." Teresa smiled. "You can take your clothes off in the bathroom over there. There should be a pair of shorts you can wear in there."

Larry's jaw still hung open. What had he gotten himself into? Hesitantly, the young man turned and made his way to the small white door on the othe rside of the vast warehouse to change.

A few moments later, Larry emerged, covering himself as much as possible. the 'shorts' Teresa had spoken of were thin, form fitting boxer briefs that left absolutely nothing to the imagination and Larry was relatively sure they could see everything through the thin fabric. But that wasn't what Jasmine was looking at.

Larry had a much better frame then she thought he had. He had thick arms, the muscles well defined. His chest was broad which was perfect and his legs were toned. This man hide a great physeek under his clothing and it would translate perfectly to the wax figures.

"Wow." she muttered to herself.

"Well, it looks like you made a good choice." Teresa finally said as the nervous man made his way closer. "The only problem is the body hair."

Larry's eyes immediately shot to Jasmine. She hadn't said anything about shaving his body. He definitely would have said no then.

"No worries." she said, sensing his hesitation. "They have a polyurethane thhat goes over you hair so you don't have to shave everything."

That took a load off his mind, but he was more then a little exposed, something he wasn't going to forget anytime soon.

"Come on." Jasmine said placing her hand on his arm to bring him forward. "Let's get started."

The man stood there as the others, Jasmine, Teresa and another assistant, began to spread this thin, clear resin over his legs, arms and chest. It was the polyurethane Jasmine had spoken of. it was cold, and squishy, kind of unnerving. Thankfully, it only took a few moments to dry. By then, the three women had begun mixing a plaster. Larry had been told to stand in a certain position, his hand holding a wooden dowel they would use to place the spears in later. Finally, they began with the plaster.

The plaster felt weirder then the other stuff. It was thick and cold making his skin prickle. They gobbed it on, all over, and he did mean _all_ over. Thankfully, they weren't going to mold his head, at least not right now. An entire body cast was going to be more then he could have handled at the moment so he was grateful. But as they finished, he wondered how long this was going to take. To his despair, they began placing some kind of strips over him before the plaster dried. Larry suddenly felt like some kind of art project.

He stood there for what seemed like forever as the cast dried. It itched horribly and he didn't know how long he could take it, especially since he had been standing int the same position for the past thirty minutes. Jasmine had been sweet though. She had brought him a bottle of water with a straw so he could have something to drink and a few chips for food. Nick was having more fun with this then anyone else. He couldn't help but laugh at his dad. On top of it, he had just been given the coolest mask he had ever seen by Jack. The day wound up being pretty cool, for everyone but Larry.

Finally came the time to take off the cast. The small older woman grabbed a small, hand held saw and turned it on. Larry felt his heart beat quicken, there was no avoiding it. She was about to saw him out of this thing and hopefully not cut him as she did. He closed his eyes and tried to find a happy place.

It felt weird. The entire cast vibrated so long he finally went a little numb. Teresa moved all around, carefully sawing his arms, then his sides and so forth. Despite her frail appearance, the woman was more then capable of wielding that tool. Within a few moments, he felt them begin to tap away at the edges, carefully breaking the cast apart.

It was a breath of fresh air for his entire body. A whoosh of cool air engulfing him as he was set free from his plaster prison. This may have to be the best thing he had ever felt in his entire life, and that included sex. To finally be released from that thing. As they removed the second half from his back, Jasmine came up handing him a towel and a bottle of some clear liquid.

"It's to get the residue off." she smiled. "And... thank you again."

"No problem." he replied, staring at her smile before remembering himself and clearing his throat. "No problem. So I just..."

"Yeah." she smiled, "Right in there."

Larry never felt himself move so quick in his life. He scampered off to the bathroom and immediately began to strip and clean that stuff off his body.

By the time he came out, the three were already getting the cast ready for the mold. It was odd how much Jasmine seemed to know about this stuff, but he didn't pay any attention to it. When she heard him coming up, the young woman turned to him and smiled once more, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand to move a piece of hair. Larry couldn't help it, it just came out. Jasmine stared at the man who was now laughing at her, and laughing heartily.

"What is it?"

"You've got plaster on your face." he laughed.

She turned to the others only to have them confirm it. Thinking she could remove it, Jasmine brought her hand up and tried to wipe it, only spreading more across her cheek. Larry couldn't stop chuckling as he handed her a towel. She took it, eying him skeptically, as she wiped the plaster free.

"Shall we leave?" she asked, tossing the towel to the side.

"Yeah. I got to get Nicky back."

Jasmine nodded her understanding before turning to Teresa.

"I have to go, but I'll be back."

"When can we expect you?"

"I'm not quite sure. There's a lot going on at the moment, but I'll be here on my free time. Deal?"

"You got it." the old woman smiled wide.

"Thanks again." Jasmine told them before leaving.

The three waved to the group before getting back into Jasmine's car and setting off for the long drive back to New York. The ride was relatively quiet, but when Jasmine pulled up to Larry's apartment, she finally spoke up.

"I want to thank you again." she said kindly. "You have no idea how much this helped me."

"No problem." he smiled. "It was pretty weird, but not something you get to do all the time. Besides, Nicky had fun. Right buddy?"

"Oh yeah. I can't wait to go back some time. You think we could?"

"We'll see buddy. Come on." Larry told his excited son. "Thanks for the ride."

"Least I could do. Bye."


	9. Chapter 9

**Ch. 9: Night at the Museum**

Between the museum, the wax factory and dealing with the contractors, Jasmine was stretched incredibly thin. She was having trouble sleeping at night, and work was dominating everything. The dreams had been getting worse as well. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard the young woman screaming, or say her dying, or something just as horrifying. The only thing that had seemed to make her feel any better, were the letters between her and her mysterious pen pal.

She had to admit, the prospect of it was fun. Leaving a letter on her desk and in the morning, there would be another one in its place. She had begun looking forward to them as time prgressed, but not knowing who it was had begun bothering her. Their words were sweet and they seemed to know quite a bit about her. One letter that scared her slightly was one of the kindest she had received. She had been having a hard day and while she was in the exhibit, her phone had rang. By the end of the conversation with Professor London, she was nearly in tears. The man was insufferable and knew exactly how to press her buttons, threatening her with being unable to send the artifacts, or telling her the only reason she had gotten this job was because of her father. The man knew how to press buttons and in the end was nothing more then a bully. After the conversation, the next morning on her desk sat another not. It read:

_Jasmine, the strongest people in the world are those willing to fight for what they believe in. I have nothing but faith in you and what you are giong to do. Your voice is kind and your heart is strong. You must never shed tears over the ignorance of others._

It was simple, but it was more then enough to lift her spirits. She had saved them, every letter, and wanted nothing more then to know who this was making her smile at a piece of were only two possibilities, rational possibilities. One was Larry. He was the only one here at night and that seemed to be when the notes appeared. Every night she would leave one on her desk and in the morning there would be a response. The only problem was Larry didn't strike her as the kind of guy that would do something like this and she was fairly certain he and Rebbecca were seeing each other. The other was Rebbecca. Some of the notes hinted towards conversations she had been having with a certain Pharaoh and Rebbecca seemed to be the one that was always over hearing or walking in on them. But why would she do something like that? Jasmine didn't think the young woman even knew how to write in ancient Egyptian. Then again, what's to stop her from using a book as reference? But some of the notes led her to believe they were from a man. This alone was too strange. But the stress of everything else was almost too much. Thankfully, London hadn't gone back on his word and sent her the pieces she asked for. They had finally arrived today, but her eyes were heavy. Lack of sleep was taking its toll and it was getting harder for her to pay attention to the work in front of her.

Something booming in the other room woke her from her sleep. Her back tightened and the blood drained from her head as she shot up. Jasmine glared at the paper stuck to her forehead and quickly snatched it. Thankfully, it was only one of her pictures and not one of the things she had drawn. The last thing she needed was to have another ink mark that wouldn't wash off on her face from falling asleep on her work.

Again, Jasmine heard something in the other room, people. She sighed her relief, it wasn't nearly as late as she thought it was. Glancing at her watch, she noticed it was only 2:45. Even better. That meant her nap was only little more then an hour. She felt foolish for falling asleep at work, but it wasn't for a long period of time and as long as McPhee didn't find her and people were still roaming around, she was safe.

Slowly, the young woman rose from her seat, stretching her stiff limbs in the process. She really was working too hard. Jasmine glanced down at the trinkets on her desk, proud they had finally arrived. True she did have to come in on her day off, but she was grateful they were here as she delicately placed them back inside their wooden boxes to keep them safe. As she snapped the wooden lids shut, she felt something dry creep into her throat. She was thirsty and there was a water fountain in the lobby.

Jasmine left her office and walked towards the lobby. When she walked through the doorway, she saw something she wasn't expecting. Dancing in the lobby to loud music was a multitude of costumed people. Hesitantly, Jasmine stepped into the large room. Was there some kind of costume party she didn't know about? Did some kind of bulletin go out to all of the museum patrons and visitors telling them to dress up as historical figures? She saw everyone they had on display in the museum. There was a Buddha, Columbus, Louis and Clark, some Confederate and Union soldiers, some cavemen, and a handful of Huns. She smiled at their commitment to the costumes, they were incredibly accurate. They also seemed to take their roles seriously, something she enjoyed.

As she walked further, she heard something calling to her. Looking around, the young woman saw a few small figures standing on the reception desk, staring directly at her as they waved her over. jasmine eyed them curiously before hesitantly walking closer. They were moving so naturally for being miniature animatronic models. It was fascinating.

"Hey you!" the small cowboy yelled.

Jasmine's eyes widened. Was this some form of new interactive technology? And why do they look like the models in the diorama room?

"May I help you?" she asked, skeptically eying them as she knelt down to their level, ensuring she could see the three inch figures better.

"Who are you supposed to be?" the rude cowboy asked. "Never seen you here before."

"Um... I work here... Who are you?"

"That is Jedediah. And I, my lady, am Octavius."

It was then the young woman noticed the obviously Roman figure standing next to him. He appeared to be some kind of commander, judging by his head dress.

"Hi there..." she replied, waving and smiling nervously. "I didn't think the diorama room had interactive animatronics." she leaned in to get a closer look at them. "Bloody brilliant."

Not thinking, her finger came out to touch the rude Cowboy referred to as Jedediah only to have it slapped away before she could reach him. Her eyes widened in shock. How is this possible?

As she examined the small men, she felt a hot breath on her neck. The expressions on the small figures faces changed and it worried her. Very slowly, she turned. Behind the young woman stood a very large, very extinct creature. Her heart stopped beating as she stared into the vacant, non existent eyes of a sixty-five million year old predator.

"No need to worry my lady." Octavious said calmly. "He won't hurt you."

Her mouth opened to speak but when it did, the large T-Rex let out a loud roar, echoing through the halls, alerting everyone else in the museum of Jasmine's presence. She suddenly felt very foolish for leaving her office. Larry, who had been patrolling the lower level of the museum with Ahkmenrah, came running into the lobby, sliding to a stop around the corner. His jaw dropped at the sight of the young woman and Rexy nose to nose. How did she get in here? The doors were all locked, the windows were locked and today was supposed to be her day off so he hadn't thought to check her office. Maybe he should have.

"Jazz..." Larry blurted.

The young woman's head slowly turned to face the night guard. Ahmenrah shot Larry a look before smiling as the man nodded to him. It seems he finally got the chance to meet the young woman he had been conversing with for the past few days. She on the other hand, hadn't noticed the ornately dressed man. Her eyes were wide with fear and rightfully so. The poor girl stared at him, begging to have him save her before mouthing the words 'help me'.

"Just don't worry..." Larry said stepping closer, his hands out to hopefully calm her. "He won't hurt you."

"Easy for you to say..." she whispered.

Jasmine was petrified, scared through and through by a forty foot beast, but as long as she didn't move, she was okay. That thought however was short lived when the giant animal moved forward and nudged her with his snout so he could better see if something was there. Jasmine did her best to remain calm. The last straw came when he nudged her again before opening his mouth wide, better revealing his large, dangerously long teeth.

"To hell with this." she muttered.

With a quick movement, the young woman dove under the large creature, coming to a sliding halt on the other side. The T-Rex turned quickly to see her behind him. Slowly, he moved to see her.

"Rexy... don't..." Larry began, making his way closer, but it was too late.

The skeleton ducked low and nudged her again. This was more then enough to send the woman running through the museum. The young Egyptologist ran, as fast as she could in heels on the slick marble floor. She zoomed pass the night guard and Egyptian Pharaoh without so much as a second glance. The Huns took their cue from T-Rex and followed her as she bounded up the stairs. Larry and Ahkmenrah exchanged frightened looks before running after the group.

Rexy bounded effortlessly up the steps but was quickly blocked by a low hanging ceiling, his fun was over. No longer hearing the sound of his boney feet hitting the floor, the young girl stopped and turned. She couldn't help but laugh at the creature. As her heart steadied and she thought she was in the clear, the Huns came rushing forward. Larry's yells for them to stop was easily over shadowed by their war cries.

It took only seconds for her to turn and run again.

"This was not in the bloody job description." she said to herself.

Where to go? Where the hell could she hide? There wasn't anything around her she could use to hide. All she could do was keeping running straight ahead and avoid everything that was behind her. Then it came to her. The closest display she could jump into was her best bet. As soon as they came in after her, she could run out from her hiding place and make her way back to her office. At least there she had a door that locked. It's perfect. Now all she needed was a damn exhibit.

"Where is she going?" Ahkmenrah asked Larry as they continued their chase.

"I don't know. She's not even supposed to be here. God i hope she doesn't try to go into your tomb."

"Me neither." he replied. "I'm not sure what the statues will do..."

"They'll try to kill her like they did to me."

Larry's mind flooded with images of the large creatures having their spears directly aimed at his throat the first time he had ever step foot in there at night. That fear, however, dissipated when the young woman turned the corner. That hall was a dead end and the only thing down there was Ahkmenrah's tomb. Apparently Jasmine was paying too much attention to what was behind her and not in front.

The two men quickened their pace and turned the corner just in time to see the Anubis guards standing in the middle of the hallway, their spears pointed at the Huns and a frightened Jasmine in the corner behind them. Shocked, Larry and Ahkmenrah slowed their pace to a walk before advancing further, Larry keeping a sharp eye on the guards.

"Hey Attila." he finally snapped.

The leader of the group turned to see the night guard closing in.

"She's a friend. didn't you hear me calling you?"

Attila dipped his head low, ashamed of what he had done. He didn't know any different. Finally, he began to mumble his gibberish.

"Okay, okay... just go on and finish playing with the others in the lobby."

Dragging his feet like a scolded child, he and the others sulked away and down the hallway. The two remaining men exchanged looks before turning back to the young woman. Jasmine's heart was beating out of her chest as she sat in the corner, her heart was heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Larry noticed her face paler then a sheet and took a step forward, immediately regretting it. instantly, the two statues had their spear heads aimed directly at the man's neck once more. They were protecting the young woman, but why?

Ahkmenrah commanded them in Egyptian, but the two statues did something he never though possible, they hesitated. Each of them turned to the other before looking down at jasmine. She stared at them, not much noticing the stranger had spoken the dead language. Her mouth went dry and she stuttered as she spoke to the two creatures. Within seconds, they bowed to their king, to the young woman, and very carefully began to make their way back inside the tomb.

"Are you okay Jazz?" Larry finally asked, making sure the guardians couldn't get back out too quickly before walking closer to her.

She couldn't speak. Her eyes were glued on him, unsure of what to she was expected to say. Was she okay? Hell no she wasn't okay. She had just run for her life from a moving skeleton and men with spears only to duck inside a display with what she thought would be inanimate objects. When she had stepped inside, the two statues moved to attack, but suddenly stopped. instead of them attacking her, they went for the Huns, pushing them out of the exhibit and into the hall. When she tried to run from them, one of them stuck it's hand out and pushed her behind them. After that, all she could do was slump to the ground when her knees gave out. And now she was being asked if she was okay? How was she supposed to answer that?

"Are you alright Miss Kelley?" the Pharaoh asked.

"No I'm not bloody alright!" she snapped, finally finding her voice. "I was just... and they... and now you..."

She paused, staring at the man wearing the gold. He was attractive, with kind eyes and an obvious Egyptian outfit but right now she didn't care. Fear was soon being replaced by anger.

"Who are you supposed to be?" she snapped angrily.

"I am Ahk..."

Larry silenced the young king with a simple touch on his shoulder.

"Hold on." he told his friend before turning to Jasmine. "What do you think is going on?"

"I... I don't know. I fell asleep in my office while I was working and when I woke up I saw all these people dressed up and then this little cowboy figurine started talking to me and then the dinosaur and Huns and Anubis..." she was talking so fast, it was hard for them to keep up with what she was saying.

"Come on."

Larry and Ahkmenrah held out their hands for her to grab. the instant she touched the young Pharaoh, he felt something similar to a static shock, mild but there. The young woman however was shaking so much she couldn't tell what was going on as the two lifted her to her feet and helped her down the hallway.

"Where are we going?" she finally asked in a weak voice.

"Your office." Larry told her calmly as they came to the entrance with the large skeletal predator.

The large beast began to shake his tail as a new and a pair of old friends came walking up. He only wanted to play, something that was lost on the frightened woman. the closer they got, the more Jasmine tried to pull away.

"It's okay ma'am." Ahk told her sweetly.

"Yeah, don't worry about him. Rexy, go on now. You scared her, so go find Jed and Octavius. I'm sure they got the car ready by now."

Rexy dipped his head as he was being scolded but that was short lived when the mention of play was involved. That was all it took to send the creature running off into the distance. With him gone, it was much easier to get her to follow them. It made Larry feel terrible. If he had warned her what would happen if she stayed late, maybe she would be okay. But how would something like this even come up? He felt even worse when she jumped every time one of the models moved, whether it was towards her or not.

Finally, the trio made their way to her office, Larry helping her to her seat. The two men stood back by the doorway, watching her stare at her desk, thinking.

So many thoughts were running through her head. She was going insane, she had to be. All the late nights, all the dreams, all the work on the renovations, and everything else. Yup, she was crazy.

After coming to her only logical conclusion, she looked up at the two men staring intently at her, waiting for her to speak. Jasmine's eyes glanced from one man to the other before resting on the 'Egyptian'. He was watching her closely, a small grin tugging at his lips. Her eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" she asked, this time in his own language.

Ahkmenrah shot the night guard a questioning glance. His mouth went dry for a moment, and the only thing he could do was try to swallow the lump before answering. He had suddenly been put on the spot and now he was going to have to deal with it.

"I am Ahkmenrah." he declared proudly, relieved he could speak in his own tongue.

"The Pharaoh Ahkmenrah has been dead for more then three thousand years, so why don't you try another one?" she asked, her eyebrow arched skeptically.

Poor Larry didn't know what was going on. The only thing he knew was he was the only one in the room that didn't speak the language.

"I am who I say."

"Prove it."

The young man glanced down at his clothing before looking back at her. How was he supposed to prove he was himself? No one had ever asked him to do that before. All of the sudden, he got a wonderful idea.

"I'm the one who has been writing you at night." he said with a sly smile.

"You're the one who broke in here, went through my things, and broke the picture of me and my father?"

Ahk hadn't though about it like that before. Perhaps it was a bad idea to bring it up.

"If you truly are the young Pharaoh, what happened yesterday while I was in your tomb?"

Akhmenrah smiled. He remembered it perfectly.

"You were on the phone and a man named London made you cry. I wrote you a note to try and make you feel better. _You must never shed tears over the ignorance of others."_

Jasmine's jaw dropped. how could this be possible? How could he have known that unless he was the one in the coffin? The exhibit had been completely empty, she had made sure. But there was no way this could be the real Pharaoh.

"This isn't possible..." she muttered in English.

"That's what I thought at first." Larry said, finally able to contribute to the conversation.

"Would you please excuse me for a moment?" she asked calmly standing from her chair and leaving the office.

The young woman didn't pay much attention to the two men as she walked pass them. she already knew where she was going.


	10. Chapter 10

**Ch. 10: Coming to Terms**

When the two men reached the lobby, they found Jasmine standing in the middle of the vast room watching everything around her. The young woman watched as half a dozen birds of prey flew over head, a pair of zebra and ostrich walking freely, and all of the men she had seen before dancing and supremely happy in their own world. Everything around her had taken on a whole new light. If the young man in the gold clothing was right, these were the displays that littered the walls and other rooms. This sight compared to nothing she had ever seen in her life. Everything in this room was a figurine, a dummy, taxidermy animals, prehistoric fossil, or a wax model... except one. She turned to face the young Pharaoh and eyed him closely. If he truly was the real Pharaoh, and this wasn't some kind of hallucination... then she knew how to prove it, once and for all.

Jasmine paid no further attention to the two men as she made her way back up the steps. Once again, the two men began to follow her. Larry felt as though he had to watch her closely now. She had nearly had a heart attack and there was no telling what would happen if anything popped out at her. He felt like it was his responsibility to kind of, protect her. It was least he could do...

Ahkmenrah on the other hand was intrigued. He had never met another woman like her. She was intelligent, well spoken in his standards (speaking his own language was a plus), kind, and beautiful. The only thing that bothered him, was his guards. Why had they tried to protect her? Perhaps it was because she had always been so polite with them, saying hello, asking their permission to enter. That had to be it.

As the rounded the corner into the exhibit, the two men watched as Jasmine headed for Ahkmenrah''s tomb. The young Pharaoh felt a lump rise in his throat, this was going to be embarrassing. He tried to stop her, but Jasmine had already lifted the wooden lid to his sarcophagus. The young woman gasped as she peered into the nearly empty coffin, and she did mean nearly empty. A few strips of rotted fabric lined the bottom with the bulk of it piled up like a pillow at one end. There was more dust and sand which she had expected but no body. After the multitude of things that _were_ present, one very important thing was gone, the Pharaoh.

This couldn't be right. She had seen the x-rays of the sarcophagus in her father's office and there was a body in there. She had seen it! But there was nothing. This couldn't be right. Jasmine's hand moved inside, pushing the strips of cloth around, shifting the sand, trying to find something that wasn't there, either a hidden panel or something hiding it. As she ran her fingers along the inside seam, she felt something under the pile of fabric. It surprised her and her hand shot back. Ahk knew what she found and tried to move forward to stop her but it was pointless. Curiously, the young woman's hand returned to its previous location. Sticking out from under the rotted fabric was a corner of stiff, new paper. Delicately, she lifted the make-shift pillow and scattered underneath was every note, letter or anything she had ever written the mysterious pen pal.

Her head shot up to look at the two men. Ahkmenrah's face flushed slightly at his embarrassment. She had found his stash. The young woman was puzzled, completely. There was a body in there before, but not anymore, and even if there wasn't a body in there, why would someone want to hide the notes in a place like this? It was real. This simply solidified everything she had seen.

Slowly, the young woman descended the small platform, her eyes trained on the Pharaoh. He was shifting uncomfortably at the sheer amount of concentration in her gaze. Larry on the other hand had almost no idea what was going on. Her bright green eyes stared at the young man as she came to a halt only a few inches in front of him.

"How is this possible?" she finally asked.

"My tablet." he finally muttered, his own eyes glued to her. "It brings everything to life at night."

"You're real then..."

"Yes. Very." he replied with a slight smile.

"Come on. Let's get downstairs. I've got to keep a better eye on those guys." Larry finally said

The two nodded and followed the young night guard down.

Jasmine didn't much feel like staying in one place like Larry and Ahkmenrah, everything was too interesting. They were used to this, she wasn't and for the first time in a while, she felt like a kid in a candy store. There were so many things around her to see, so many historical figures she could talk to. Absolutely wonderful... A smile crossed her face as she looked around with complete admiration. As she watched a small RC car speed pass her feet, and the large beast run after it, she heard something come up behind her. Turning, Jasmine couldn't help but smile as a happy looking man came riding up on horse back with a young Indian woman joining him.

"Former President Theodore Roosevelt I presume?" she asked with a smile.

"You are most correct my dear lady." he laughed happily. "I am happy to make your acquaintance. This young lady with me is Ms. Sacajawea." the young Indian woman smiled briefly and waved. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Jasmine." she smiled, extending her hand to shake his.

"Ah. You must be the one who's going to up root young Ahkmenrah's tomb."

"Yes." she laughed.

"Well I'm sure he's in good hands. So, I see Lawrence has filled you in on our little family."

"No willingly." she sighed, briefly staring at the young man.

"Oh... oh my. Then how..."

"I fell asleep in my office." she blushed.

"Well, all things happen for a reason." he smiled before ridding off with his young lady.

_

It was by far the most interesting night she had experienced, and she didn't want it to end. Everything was so fascinating. Larry smiled to himself as she and Ahkmenrah walked off through the halls together, it reminded him of how Rebbecca had acted when she finally got to meet Sacajawea. Part of him swelled with pride and relief that she had finally seen everything, now he didn't have to worry about he whenever she worked late.

As the two people sat on a bench in the diorama room, Jasmine was having trouble thinking of anything else to ask. She had covered everything she had read in books, gladly most of it was true, but she couldn't think of anything else to ask. In the time the two of them had spent talking to each other, she felt as though she had known him all her life. The two of them, despite having been born more then a millennium apart, had quite a bit in common. She felt more comfortable around him then most people she had met, and he was technically dead.

There was one other thing however, that bothered her about him. How had he died? There were four different versions in the multiple books she had read. One was him being assassinated. Another was it being his brother who had assassinated him only to have the royal guard come in afterward and take care of him. The most common was he had fallen ill and simply passed away after his body gave out. The final one, which she highly doubted and always had a problem with, was he had committed suicide. The book it was in was far less accurate then the others and having met him, she was less and less inclined to believe it. But how would you ask someone something like that? It's not exactly polite conversation.

As she sat there, trying to decide what else she should say, she felt a hand close on her shoulder. Turning, she saw a concerned look on Ahkmenrah's face.

"Is something the matter?" he asked kindly.

"No." she replied with a forced smile. "I'm fine."

She didn't want to bring anything like that up. She didn't know him well enough to ask him something as personal as how he died. That would have to wait.

As she looked at him, their eyes locked. His brown orbs stared at her, reaching her from somewhere deep inside, electing a strange feeling. Her stomach fluttered at the sight of the man and his touch on her shoulder. There was no doubting he was an attractive man, but this was too strange for her. He was a dead, lifeless mummy... Correction, he was _supposed_ to be a dead, lifeless mummy, but there was so much proof to the contrary.

"So, you liked my designs?" she finally asked, making some kind of conversation.

He nodded kindly.

"They seem very true to the time. I'm very appreciative."

"You're welcome."

She smiled sweetly and once again the fluttering began. What the hell? She wasn't a teenager, so why wasn't she able to control herself around him? Although, she had to admit, it did feel good. Slowly, the young woman felt herself begin to lean forward. She wasn't seriously about to do what she thought she was going to do... was she? Still, she advanced, feeling him begin to do the same. This wasn't really happening, it couldn't be. And yet, it was.

Ahkmenrah was staring into her brightly colored green eyes. They were intoxicating. He felt a warmth take hold of him, enveloping him completely. It was an odd sensation that he hadn't felt in a long time. She fascinated him for reasons he couldn't pin point. Perhaps it was how much she resembled Egyptian women. Or maybe it was that she managed to make him feel so comfortable despite the fact this was their first meeting.

While he had been listening to her having all of her conversations over the phone, etc., he had come to think of her as a person he knew. After hearing her voice, and seeing her face in the picture in his office, it was easy for him to imagine being awake, standing in front of her, speaking to her like he was right now. Her voice had always managed creep into his mind, into his thoughts and he found himself more and more thankful they had. After all, he couldn't think of a better voice to listen to in his sleep. And now she was here, sitting next to him, and he felt the need to do something about it, not knowing when or if she would ever come back.

"Hey Ahk.. whoa, sorry."

It was Larry. Thank God he had come. The two of them pulled away from each other, Jasmine grateful they had only moved in a few inches. Her heart started to calm and she suddenly realized her face was slightly flush, the heat resonating in her cheeks.

"Did I interrupt something?" Larry asked with a sly smile as he came closer to the two.

"I would say so Gigantor!" Jedediah laughed.

It was then the young woman noticed the two figurines she had seen earlier poking out of Larry's uniform pockets. The young cowboy was laughing heartily at the awkwardness of the situation while the Roman soldier had either a look of hurt, or embarrassment, it was hard to discern between the two on such a small face from such a far distance.

"Uh, no." Jasmine replied, standing from the bench, nervously adjusting her clothing.

"Well, the sun's about to come up so..."

"Of course Larry." Ahkmenrah replied, standing himself.

Jasmine felt her stomach churn as the young Pharaoh turned to face her.

"Until next time."

The smile gracing his lips made her face flush again, a feeling that didn't do anything but get worse when he grabbed her hand and placed a delicate kiss on it.

The room around her spun as she tried to make sense of everything. This was definitely sensory over load. She had barely noticed that the young man had bowed politely to her before turning to leave. Larry had set the two miniatures on their own display and came to a stop in front of her, a smile on his face.

"You coming?" she finally heard him say.

"Hm? Yes, of course."


	11. Chapter 11

**Ch. 11: Ration Thought v.s. Egyptian Magic**

Jasmine slowly made herself get out of bed. It had been a long night and she had to meet with the contractors at the museum. She had been having those dreams lately and they had been growing in intensity. The worst part about it was she had been working so hard, she had dreamed the entire museum had come to life and she almost made out with a three thousand year old mummy that looked like he could have been a model at some point. She really was loosing her mind and that was the best way to rationalize what had happened. Seriously, talking to dead, wax presidents, having a GQ worthy mummy kiss your hand, and a three inch tall, loud mouthed cowboy talking to you? How insane was she? But there was still work to be done and she had to do it. So despite having the irrepressible urge to fall back asleep, she soldiered on and got ready to go to work.

Eventually, she got her things ready and made her way to the museum. It was Saturday and the crowd of people was a bit thinner then usual being so early in the morning but she knew it would get thicker like always. Jasmine made her way into the back offices, poured herself some of the stale, day old coffee and choked it down with an abnormally large amount of sugar. It was the only way she knew how to make it taste better. As she made her way to her office, mug in hand, she had already begun dialing the number of the construction company.

Finding the man who was supposed to come and meet her was harder then she thought. Apparently, he had gone out to collect payment for the last job they were on and wouldn't be back for a while. She left her number and hung up as she lightly kicked the door of her office open. She was thankful, for times like this when her arms were full, that it was already unlocked for her. Sometimes, they would unlock the doors for the scientists, curator, and whoever else had one, like her. As the door swung open to her office, she felt her insides jump, the coffee mug falling from her hands and crashing against the marble floor.

There was another piece of paper on her desk, one she hadn't written or seen before today. Another note, longer then the others, written in the ancient language. She took a step forward, crushing a piece of the porcelain under her foot, bringing her back to reality.

"Dammit..."

The young woman tried to keep her feet out of the liquid as she went to her desk and pulled out a roll of paper towels. Irritated at her own stupidity, she unrolled almost the entire thing and placed them over the brown liquid, watching as it hungrily drank the coffee from the floor. Having that taken care of, for now, she returned her attention to the random piece of paper on her desk. Her hand was slightly shaking with uncertainty as she reached for it, holding it up so she could read it.

_~Jasmine, To hear your voice is pomegranate wine to me. I draw life from hearing it. Could I see you with every glance, it would be better for me, than to eat or to drink. After seeing your face, and finally feeling your skin, I do nothing but await until the next eve when I can see your eyes looking back at me once more. Sleeping through the ages holds no appeal with me, I only count the time until I can see you again in more then my dreams._

"Is he serious?" she mumbled, staring at the piece of paper before collapsing into her seat. "When did he even have time to write this?"

She flipped the paper over in her hand before reading the words once more. Despite the reaction her heart was having to his kind and sweet words, her mind wouldn't shut up. That seemed to be a common occurrence, ever since she had been a child.

When did he write this? Why did he write this? She had only met him last night, and although true she had felt some kind of connection with him, that still didn't explain why he had written something like this. He made it seem like the two of them had been an item, or at least known each other more then a day. True it was sweet, but her mind rationalized it as being unnerving. Then something else came to her, the dream.

"Jesus it was real..." she sighed, her head landing in her hands.

Everything she _dreamed_ was real. Then what did that mean? That she had spent all night in the museum talking to fictional beings? That she had begun to develop a crush on a corpse? Well, he may have been a lot of things last night like charming, attractive, kind... but not one of them screamed _corpse._ But now what was she going to do? She came here to redecorate an exhibit and now she had a crush and a pen pal.

_No, nothing's changed. _she thought to herself.

She was going to do her job and be out of here by mid-June.

_Nothing's changed. _she repeated.

And she was going to make sure that the display brought in all the people it was supposed to and then go to the excavation with her father.

_Nothing's changed. I still have the same plans._she thought once more. _Why the hell do I keep repeating that?_

She was shaken from her thoughts by the sudden sound of her phone ringing. _Bert Ackers_ flashed on the screen of her cell phone. The contractor.

"Kelley." she answered.

It had become a habit to do that with people she was doing business, something her father did that she seemed to pick up.

"Miss Kelley? It's Burt."

Jasmine rolled her eyes, already knowing who it was.

"What can I do for you?"

"Well, I was on my way back to the office and they told me you called."

Jasmine had to hold the phone away from her ear for a moment. The man was definitely in his car and judging by the loud static sound, his window was down and he was driving relatively fast. It was loud and nearly too painful to keep too close to her ear.

"Yes. I was wondering if you were going to be stopping by today?"

"Oh yeah. Guess I could be there is about twenty minutes."

"That's fine. Just go to the reception desk, they'll tell you where I am."

"Fine by me. See you then."

She rolled her eyes once more and snapped the phone shut. She hated it when people talked on their phones while it was windy. It made it almost impossible to tell what they were saying half the time and it was incredibly loud. But, it had been taken care of none-the-less and she was grateful to finally get him to come and take a look.

Jasmine knew that the only thing that was going to go on today was the estimation. She had worked with people like this before and she knew that he was going to come down, look around, see her plans and, if he was stupid, try to rip her off. It happened more often then people thought. The guy would come in and say it was going to cost you about ten thousand more then it really was because of all of the artifacts. But thankfully, she had a very good idea of what was going to take place, whether he did or not.

The young woman began to gather her things so she would be completely prepared for anything he would ask her. She needed to get him started as soon as possible because keeping the artifacts in her office was making her nervous and the three boxes were taking up the entire corner to her right. She was going to need her blueprints and the sketches so turning, careful not to fall again, she faced the cabinet, picking one of the drawers that didn't stick. Out of the corner of her eye, Jasmine noticed the emblem still embedded firmly in the aluminum and smiled. Her fingers traced over the recognizable image, her smile widening and her mind drifting to last night before remembering herself. Ignoring it, she gathered her things and hastily left her office. For some reason, she couldn't help but gather the note and place it on top of her things so she could stare down at it whenever she wanted.

..

Jasmine had been staring at the sarcophagus for the past ten minutes. She had told Rebbecca where she was going to be when Burt got here and had been completely silent since entering the tomb. Honestly, she had no idea what she was supposed to say. Her back was cold leaning up against the large obelisk that was covered in carvings, her foot placed flat against it. She looked like a flamingo, but it was comfortable for now. She wanted to say something, but what was there to say?

It was odd, the feelings she had coursing through her, all of her contradicting thoughts. She liked the guy, he was sweet and they had gotten along just fine. Three and a half hours had passed while they were talking the night before and it felt like it had only been a few moments. He had kissed her hand and when he had, she could have sworn she felt some kind of spark from his touch. But she couldn't understand, not completely, how any of this was possible. It used to be said that Egyptian magic was the most powerful, capable of doing anything, including bringing a soul back from the underworld, but she had never thought it possible. As much as she had believed in magic as a child, as much as she wished she would have wanted to be able to do things like that, everyone told her otherwise.

When she was a kid, she had always loved the possibility of magic, the thought that it could be real. She loved it so much in fact, that she spent most of her time studying that ancient rituals and deciphering the spells they had. She used to wish for things to happen and if she really wanted it to, it did, one way or another. She remembered the first time something like that had happened. She was ten years old and her mother had gotten very sick. The doctors couldn't find out what was wrong with her and it was breaking Jasmine's heart to see her like that. She loved her mother very much, but what was she supposed to do?

After visiting the hospital, Jasmine had gotten an idea. Once she had gotten home, the young woman rounded up as many supplies as she could for what she was about to do. The young girl grabbed a piece of paper, a pair of candles, some cakes and after sneaking into her parents liquor cabinet, some red wine. In her closet, away from the prying eyes of anyone near, the young girl set up an alter for the Gods. She made her petition, crying as she thought of her mother, tears landing lightly on the white paper. She spent the next hour offering the Gods her wine and cakes, asking Isis, Horus, Hathor, anyone who would listen to her to save her mother. She drew the symbol for each of the Gods and Goddesses on the piece of paper and asked that they allow it to absorb anything that could be hurting her. She planned on burning it later, releasing her mother's sickness into the atmosphere.

When her and her father had returned to the hospital, Jasmine cleverly hid the piece of paper under her mother's mattress, right at the edge of the bed since she didn't want to wake her. Within days, her mother was making a full recovery and Jasmine knew it was because of her ritual. She had nothing but faith in the forces of Egyptian mythology. The good feeling however was short lived when they had moved her mother to another room. Despite her progress, her mother's body began to deteriorate almost instantly and before Jasmine could help her, her mother had slipped into a coma. When the little girl had told her father what she had done and how much it had helped, he didn't believe her. He told her the doctors said it was an infection that had gotten worse when they moved her, that there was nothing she could do and that magic wasn't real. It was a devastating blow to the young girl, made all the worse by her mother passing away a week later. Since then, anything other then what she could see and touch wasn't real to her. That's why she was so conflicted.

She _knew _there was no way for any of this to be real, but she could see it. She _knew_ there was no way for the Pharaoh to be walking around and alive, especially with what Egyptians did to their dead, but there he was, she had touched him. Nothing about this made sense to her, but her gut told her it was real, and there was something else. There was something else buried deep inside that she couldn't exactly see. The longer she stood there staring at the painted face on the coffin, picturing the man sleeping within, the more positive there was something else that was just out of reach of her memories. It was confusing and infuriating at the same time.

Slowly, Jasmine took a few steps forward, running her fingers along the coffin as she walked. Why was he dominating her thoughts and making her question everything she had thought she knew? As she made her way back along the other side, she heard something in the distance. Her eyes shot up to the entrance of the exhibit, her hand immediately retreating from the sarcophagus in time to see a man come walking in.

**...........................................**

**The first three lines of the little letter, poem thingy is from the national geographic website. I tried putting the exact address down but it's not wanting to save the whole thing. I don't want anyone to think I'm ripping them off. lol. But the rest of it after the eat and drink part is mine. Oh and thank you to all of you guys that have commented, I appreciate it so much! And if there is anything factually wrong (though I'm trying to keep it accurate) don't hesitate to let me know. Just remeber, as far as the movies concerned, it is a fanfic. lol. You guys rock.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Another little 'mid-story' chapter, but I like it towards the end. lol. Enjoy.  
**

**Ch. 12 The Final Preparation  
**

She eyed the man that came walking into the exhibit. It was likely he was just a patron, coming to visit the Pharaoh on his own, but something told her otherwise. His mouth hung open as he walked through the vast hall towards the tomb, in awe at everything he was looking at before coming to the jackal headed guardians. She noticed him stop and stare at them, hands on his hips and a slight hint of pride on his face.

He was a tall man, probably six feet, but shabby. He had a decent sized beer gut, trying its hardest to break free of his shirt and finish its task of hanging over his belt. His jeans were worn, his boots too, and the debris attached to them was distracting. So distracting in fact, that she almost hadn't noticed the pizza stain on his white shirt.

"Mr. Ackers?" she asked finally.

The man's head immediately turned to face her, the rest of the pizza still on his chin as he smiled. His pace quickened as he walked up to her, his hand extended.

"You must be Miss Kelley? Nice to meet you." shaking her hand happily.

"You too." she smiled, trying to hold back a giggle as she motioned politely to the remaining food.

"Oh..." he laughed, wiping it away. "Sorry about that. Had to grab lunch on the go. So, what are we looking at here?"

"This is the tomb of the Pharaoh Ahkmenrah." she began, turning to gather the blueprints and sketches. "There isn't a whole lot of work I need done, but there's enough of it I promise. Here, I'll show you."

Whispering her apologies to the King for placing her things on his once more, the young woman unrolled the blueprints before panning through her sketches, setting them to the side for reference.

"I need this tomb lifted a few feet. It's not going to be too far, but as it is, he only sits a foot and a half off the ground. I want him raised to two feet, which doesn't seem like enough to move him, but he has to be brought three feet forward." she said, grabbing her sketched and using the pencil in her hair to illustrate on the blueprints she had where she needed him to be. "And the reason, is because..." she flipped the page to show the case. "I need the platform for this built and that slab behind him moved back to the wall."

"Okay... I'm with ya so far." he replied, his eyes still trained on the pictures. "You don't miss a step do you?" he laughed.

"Can't afford to." she smiled. "That's really all I need from you guys since you won't bother with the guards."

"Yeah." he sighed, turning to look at them again. "And i am so glad I said no. Those things are bigger then I thought they'd be. And they're solid?"

She nodded. Burt let out a long whistle of relief before speaking.

"I pity the guys doing that." he sighed once more before turning back to her. "As for the rest of the stuff, we can definitely do it."

He backed up, and she did the same. She watched as the man pulled a hidden tape measure out of his pocket and began to take his measurements. As he did, she noticed him take out a small notepad and pencil and begin to scribble down his measurements as he went. Ten minutes, it took him to do this, and she had to watch him the entire time, trying to keep her eyes off the young King.

"Well," he finally said, heaving himself up from his knee. "I think with materials... labor... four man team... and everything else... you're looking at about forty-three grand."

"Beg pardon?" she asked, eying him suspiciously.

"Well, you want us to rip this guy up, move him after we build up the difference, conceal the spot he was at. Then come back here, move that giant thing back against the wall, and build another platform so you can out some glass case on it. And I'm assuming you want us to match this marble as much as possible?"

She slowly nodded. Of course she wanted it to match. What kind of a question was that?

"Then you're looking at forty-three easy."

"Oh I think you can do much better then that." she replied, the politeness gone from her voice.

"Look, I don't think you know how much this is going to run. This kind of marble is expensive."

"This kind of marble doesn't cost near as much as you're trying to make it. Materials for this job would cost you twenty-nine at the most and I highly doubt that labor is worth fourteen thousand dollars between four men. Especially when you're planning on taking a month to do it."

Burt's face went temporarily white. He had never been called out on something like that before.

"You might be guessing at the price there ma'am but I..."

"You, Mr. Akers, are trying to rip me off and I don't appreciate it. I have done my research and know this job should only cost between thirty and thirty four thousand dollars, nearly ten less then you're trying to sell me." she said, her eyes narrowing as she took a step closer to him. "And I do not appreciate being taken advantage of."

"Well, you got to take in account of him." he said, pointing to the coffin.

"He is not your concern, nor is the tablet. I simply need you to move the large pieces and build their replacements."

She took a few steps closer to the man that was nearly a head taller then her, not stopping until she was a few inches from his face. She delighted in the fact that he shifted nervously as she approached him.

"Friends don't try to take advantage of each other." she said before her voice got dangerously low. "Now Mr. Ackers, are we friends?"

He paused for a moment, still staring down at her.

"Call me Burt." he finally replied with a forced smile, laughing nervously. "And I'm sure we can work something out."

"Splendid." she said, smiling wide as her voice returned to normal. "So, when can you start?"

"Uh..." he replied, slightly taken aback by her sudden shift in attitude. "How about the end of next week? I just need sometime to get my guys filled in and get the materials."

She thought about it for a moment. It was obvious he wasn't lying, she had seemed to have scared him too much for him to do that, so now it was an issue of time. The end of next week was going to be April fourth.

"How long do you expect this to take?"

"Well, since we don't go to move those things in there and everything else, probably a month like I said before."

"Fine, just remember it all has to be done before the end of May." she replied before extending her hand to the man.

Cautiously, he shook it, still staring at her.

"Pleasure doing business with you Mr. Ackers."

"Yeah, pleasure." he answered before turning to leave.

Once he was gone, she let out a sigh of relief.

"I can't believe that worked." she laughed looking at the sarcophagus. "I was bluffing."

She smiled her contentment before gathering her things and leaving them tomb. There was nothing left for her to say to the sleeping King, nothing worth saying at least. She wanted nothing more then to reply somehow about his note, but when she looked at the paper, she couldn't think of anything that would be as beautiful as the words she had received from him. So, the only thing she could think to do was to get out of there as quickly as possible before she said anything stupid.

Jasmine made her way to her office to put her things away before heading out once more when Rebbecca stopped her.

"So," she said, beaming happily. "I heard you had an interesting night last night."

"Which part? Me running for my life from a giant skeleton, or nearly being torn apart by wax Huns?" she teased as they walked down the hallway.

"The part where you and Ahkmenrah had a nice little sit down in the diorama room."

Jasmine's heart skipped a beat. Her face began to flush and that nervous feeling began to take hold in her stomach once again. But, she couldn't let Rebbecca see how nervous that simple statement made her.

"Oh, that part." she laughed nervously, trying to save face.

"Yeah," Rebbecca teased, "That part."

The two young women took a left into Jasmine's office. The young woman began putting her things back in their place while the young brunette hung in the doorway, that damn smile still evident as she stared at Jasmine. The Egyptologist turned to see the expression and shifted.

"What?"

"Don't what me. What'd the two of you talk about for _three_ hours?"

"Nothing... really. Just a little bit of everything."

"A little bit of everything doesn't end with a kiss on the hand."

_Note to self, kill Larry._ Jasmine thought to herself.

"He was being polite." she finally answered.

"Yeah... uh-huh. Did he leave you another note?"

Jasmine narrowed her eyes at the young woman in her doorway.

"You knew it was him this whole time?"

"Of course I knew. Why do you think I practically yelled at you in his exhibit the other day?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Would you have believe it?" she laughed.

"Valid point..." Jasmine sighed. "He wrote me this..."

Reluctantly, her hand dug into her pocket and produced the letter she had received this morning. Rebbecca snatched it greedily and opened it as quickly as she could without riping it. Her heart raced with excitement when she flipped over the final flap, her face beaming with the widest smile Jasmine had ever seen. The smile quickly faded when she had the note opened completely. With a cocked eyebrow, Rebbecca held the piece of white paper out to the side by the corner, the hieroglyphics showing.

"I can't read this." Rebbecca declared.

"Awe, too bad." Jasmine laughed, snatching the letter back from her friend and putting it in her pocket again.

"What? Come on. What's it say?" she asked as Jasmine walked pass her into the hallway.

"You should have told me who he was." she laughed as she called back.

"That's not fair!" Rebbecca called after her disappointed, but still smiling.


	13. Chapter 13

**Ch. 13: A Wandering Mind**

Teresa had been nothing but sweet to Jasmine ever since they had agreed to work with her. She was grateful. The mold had already been made for the wax figures and a separate head for each had been added. Apparently, there were still a couple of random, not very distinct, head molds they had lying around unused. Jasmine had worried for a moment, that the _memories_ of the people used for the head molds would be imprinted into the figures instead of them being the guards they were meant to be. A thought that was short lived when she had been informed they were nothing more then mannequin heads with different features. Her task, for the moment, was going to be carving the faces to give them more of a human appearance, something she was more then happy to do.

Two molds were already cured and set, ready to be carved and painted, much earlier then Jasmine had ever thought. As the others went to work on the clothing for the models they had already made, Jasmine began working on the first ones face.

She took a tool from the table and climbed onto the small ladder they had given her so she could sit comfortably eye level with her subject. There wasn't much work that needed to be done, just erasing some of the lines from the mold and hollowing out the eyes for the glass ones she was going to place in the sockets. But as the young woman sat there, etching away at the lips to make them look more realistic, her mind got away from her. She started thinking about _him_ and the way he smiled, the way he spoke and how they felt when they touched the back of her hand. She could see the contours of them as though they were right in front of her, every line, everything about them was burned into her memory. As she continued to work, she realized the image was no longer a thought, but reality. She had accidentally made the model's lips look like Ahkmenrah's. Jasmine sighed. Now every time she looked at this thing, it will remind her of him.

_Get your head on straight..._ she thought to herself.

Replacing her small tool for one a bit larger, she decided it would be a better idea to smooth away the lines on the torso. That however, was a worse idea then she had realized.

While she had begun working on the shoulders, her mind shifted once more to the young Pharaoh. She thought about the way his clothing sat on his body and what might be underneath. The way the light of the museum gliding across his skin as he moved, his muscles flexing whenever possible. She wondered what it would feel like to have his strong arms grab her, even if it was only for a hug. She couldn't help but think about how he must have looked in the ancient Egyptian sun. His skin glistening with sweat from the heat or the day, despite not having to work a day in his life...

"Dammit." she muttered. "What the hell's the matter with me?"

Shaking the images from her head, the young woman went back to work, focusing as much as possible as she finished her work on the body. Gladly, the wax was colored to the right shade of brown for the skin, so the only painting she really had to do was the eyes, but before that there was the hair. She concentrated on her work, punching the hair into the soft wax, trying her best not to think about him but having little luck. She was only working on the eyebrows since they were going to glue wigs on their heads, but she kept seeing his face looking back at her.

A few hours had passed and Jasmine knew she hadn't done near as much as she could have if she wasn't thinking about Ahkmenrah. The soldier was, for the most part, finished. All that remained was the clothing, and the weapon as she put the finishing touched on it's eyes. Her hand was steady as she finished the last little line of black make up around its eyes. And there it was. A life size statue, ready to be clothed, staring at her through familiar brown eyes. Her heart sank as she looked at his face.

"Dammit..." she muttered again

"Wow." Teresa declared happily as she came walking up behind her. "He is one attractive Egyptian."

"Thanks." Jasmine laughed nervously.

"You know something, if you ever needed a job, you'd be more then welcome here dear. He looks so life like."

"Yeah... too bad I'll have to change his nose and put some facial hair on him."

"Why?" she asked shocked, "He's perfect. Why would you want to go and cover a face like that?"

Jasmine smiled as the short woman pinched the figures cheeks like a grandmother would a little kid.

"He looks too much like another exhibit." it was the only thing she could think to say.

"Oh yeah? I think I'd love to work in that museum." she teased before going back to her own work.

Jasmine waited until the old woman had left her side before glaring at what she had created.

"You just can't seem to leave me alone can you?" she asked the inanimate object. "Every time I tried to concentrate, you just crept back into my head..."

She didn't want to, but Jasmine knew it would be a bit awkward having two men walking around with the same face. So reluctantly, she took a tool and chiseled away at his perfect nose, doing anything she could do to make it look less like Ahkmenrah. Jasmine couldn't believe that she had been thinking about the man so much, she more or less made another one of him to look at... Figures.

....

He still saw her eyes in his mind, those beautiful green eyes looking back at him. The sound of her voice when she spoke to him in his own tongue echoed in his head. The smell of her skin as she sat only feet from him invaded his lungs, forcing out the stale stench from his sarcophagus. The feeling of her soft skin under his lips still causing them to tingle. He couldn't wait to see her again and tonight wouldn't be soon enough.

Despite her initial silence when she had visited him earlier, he knew she was there. He had felt her ever since she had walked into the exhibit. He had sensed her staring at him and felt himself wishing she would say something to him but it never came. The touch of her fingers against his sarcophagus sent vibrations through him. Why hadn't she said anything while she was there?

When it had come time for him to wake up, he overjoyed. The young Pharaoh felt himself nearly jump from his coffin and bound happily off towards the lobby, waiting to see here. As he rounded the corner excitedly, he felt his heart drop when only Larry stood before him. The night guard heard footsteps and turned, smiling at his friend as he walked closer.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Yes, I suppose. Are the only one here tonight?"

Ahmenrah didn't want the question to sound as rude as it did when he asked it, but he really wanted to know.

"Uh, yeah. Why? Were you expecting Jazz to come back?"

He didn't answer. Of course he had expected her to come back. He thought the two of them had had a good time last night, at least enough of one to bring her back. Larry noticed the young man's face drop slightly despite his attempts to hide his disappointment.

"Hey, don't worry about it." he told him kindly placing his hand on the Pharaoh's shoulder. "She's got a lot of work to do. Plus, she got pretty scared last night, so it might take her awhile to get used to all this."

Ahkmenrah nodded his understanding before turning to leave. He honestly didn't quite know where he was going, but if he was going to spend the night without talking to her, he wanted to keep moving.

"Hey." Larry called.

The young King turned to see his friend smiling wide, his hand extended to hand him something. Unsure, Ahk placed his open palm under Larry's closed fist and was more then a little excited when he felt the familiar cool piece of metal fall into it.

"Thank you my friend."

"Go on, get out of here." he laughed.

The young Egyptian ruler did his best to contain himself as he made his way down the steps to her office, fairly positive he heard Larry chuckle as he did. It didn't bother him, that his friend found amusement out of this, nothing mattered. Perhaps, if she hadn't come to visit, she had left him a note or something saying why she wasn't here.

His heart was beating quickly as he tried to steady his hand long enough to unlock the door to her office. Nerves took hold of his, shaking him to the core as he hurriedly opened the weak wooden door.

Nothing. There was nothing waiting for him, nothing that called to him, nothing at all. Her desk was cleared of all its usual debris. Not one piece of paper was out of place or evident anywhere. His stomach fell. She had never missed a night before when she didn't know who he was, but now...

That had to be it. Slowly, he walked around her desk and let himself fall into her chair. He felt himself mold into the soft fabric cushion, unconsciously keeping his back from hitting the back of the chair until he had become settled. It was now second nature, sitting in the chair, keeping himself from plummeting backwards into the cabinet again.

His mind raced with reasons to why she wouldn't have written him back. It was a curious feeling that surged through him, something he hadn't felt in a long time. Hurt. Ahkmenrah was hurt. He had thought the two of them had a great time and she never had a problem writing him back before. The only thing that changed, was now she saw the face of her mysterious pen pal. Was something the matter with him? Did he do something foolish last night? It was the kiss on her hand... Or maybe it was the letter he had left her this morning? Had he come on too strong for the young woman?

He didn't like the way he felt right now. She was making him question everything he had done, everything he had thought, simply everything about him. He was confused and he didn't like it. So there he sat, in her office and in her chair, wondering what he had done.

Ahkmenrah bit his bottom lip lightly as he thought more and more about the situation. There was a simple answer for this entire thing and he knew it. She didn't like him. She didn't find him attractive and this was her way of letting him know. Writing the notes back and forth was nothing but innocent flirting to her and once she had seen him it had become too real for her tastes. She was letting him know that she wasn't interested and he had to respect her decision. He wasn't even sure why this seemed to be bothering him as much as it was. True she was smart, kind, and he thought she was very beautiful, but he had only met her once.

The young man nodded his head to himself as he came to his final conclusion. He was going to relinquish his persuits and let her be. The young King rose from his seat and grabbed a pencil from her cup for the last time. There was nothing around for him to write on, no loose paper for him to use for his last letter. Her desk would have to do for now.


	14. Chapter 14

**Ch. 14**

In the morning, Jasmine came by the museum to have lunch with Rebbecca. She knew the young woman was going to try and pry information from her about Ahkmenrah. The thought of what she might say made Jasmine smile as she stepped into the lobby, making her way quickly to the front desk.

"Hey." Rebbecca exclaimed happily at Jasmine's approach.

"Hello there." she smiled kindly. "You ready to go?"

"Yup, but aren't you going to stop by your office?" she asked slyly.

Jasmine eyed the young woman skeptically.

"Do you know something I don't?"

"There's another little note for you." she replied, still smiling wide.

Why was there another one? She hadn't had the time to write him before she left yesterday. Honestly, she had no idea what to say to him. She had tried to come up with something but every time she put her pen to paper, she had come up blank.

Curiosity took hold of the young woman and with one last glance to her friend, she began to make her way through the crowds of people. Thankfully, they wouldn't be here long. It was Sunday and though most museums were closed, they remained open until one in the afternoon. But still, there were a decent amount of people she had to try and not knock over in her hasty retreat to her office.

From the hallway, she could see through the glass in her door and didn't see any paper. What note was Rebbecca talking about? The closer she got, the more she noticed the grey, graphite reflecting off her desk top. She eyed it nervously as she stepped through her doorway.

It was difficult to decipher upside down, she hadn't developed that skill as well as her father, but it was easily fixed. Jasmine couldn't help but begin reading the letter as she walked to her chair, the angle it had been written.

Rebbecca made her way to the door quietly, watching and waiting to see the young woman inside swoon over the sweet things he had left her only to find something else. Her face fell as her friend sat in her chair, not caring the back had given out once again. Jasmine was completely immobile, staring at what had been left behind for her.

"What's the matter?" she finally asked. "What's it say?"

Jasmine couldn't speak. The words weren't mean, or hateful, but in the absence of cruelty, they still managed to cut her deeply. There she sat, unable to comprehend what she was looking at. They were beautiful images, birds and other designs sketched onto the table's surface, but she knew their meaning.

"Will you say something?" Rebbecca said, clapping her hands loudly to snap Jasmine out of her delirium.

"Hm?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"Um, nothing. Come on, let's go."

Rebbecca watched as she stood, ready to leave. Her jaw fell open slightly. Did she honestly think she was going to get out of it that easily?

"Hey," she said grabbing her friend's arm so she would face her. "What's going on? What'd he say?"

Jasmine sighed and made her way back to the desk, motioning for Rebbecca to follow her.

"Jasmine," she began narrating the note, her fingers gliding along the words as she did. "Perhaps last night was a mistake. I apologize for making you regret our interaction. This will be my last letter to you. Maybe it is a good idea you no longer stay over night."

Before the young brunette could say anything to her friend, McPhee came walking by, spotting the graffiti on the desk.

"Oi, what's... Can't you just..."

"A complete sentence would be appreciated." Jasmine replied, her eyes narrowing at the small man.

She didn't work for him so she was more then comfortable speaking to him that way. He was rude and insensitive, and since she wasn't under his thumb, he never knew exactly how to react when she spoke to him that way.

"Just clean it up." he snapped before storming off.

"I love it when you do that." Rebbecca laughed as the man walked away before returning to her friend.

Jasmine looked disappointed and hurt.

"I'm sure it's not as bad as it sounds." she finally said, rubbing the young woman's shoulder. "Come on, let's get some food."

Reluctantly, the young Egyptologist followed her friend out of her office and then the museum.

...

Night fell and Ahkmenrah had felt nothing but a pain in his chest since writing her that letter. He wasn't sure if that was the best way to go, but it had already been done. He felt his shoulders hang a little lower then usual as he made his way into the lobby. Tonight was the night they were going to play soccer. It was going to be the best way for him to pass the time, to keep his mind busy.

As the young Pharaoh made his way down the steps, he couldn't move his eyes from the floor. He was lost inside his own mind, still thinking of the young woman. He still saw her eyes when he closed his, smelled her skin, felt her touch. Everything he had felt for her was still there, coupled with a strong regret.

Ahkmenrah had made his way across the marble floor, walking slower then usual. In the distance, he heard a repetitive noise thought caught his interests. He turned, looking around him for the source of the sound through the sea of organized chaos. In the distance, making her way through the wild animals, was a very angry Rebbecca. Her delicate face was furrowed into a frown as she stormed up to him, stopping only inches from the man.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" she asked meanly.

Ahkmenrah was completely shocked, there was no hiding that. She was staring at him, waiting for an answer just as Larry came walking in. The poor night guard had no idea what was going on, again. He had only walked into the room to see Rebbecca pointing an accusatory finger at the Pharaoh, digging it into the man's chest.

"I don't understand..."

"That stupid note you left Jazz. What was that all about?"

"I'm afraid that is none of your business." he muttered, turning to walk away.

"What's going on?" Larry finally asked.

"Ahk decided to call it off." Rebbecca snapped. "You should have seen her face..."

At the mention of Jasmine, the young King turned to her. She noticed the expression on his face. He was begging her, silently, to continue. He inched closer to her, his mind spinning with possibilities to why Jasmine would have been anything but relieved.

"I simply thought..."

"You didn't think... Now _she _thinks you're trying to get rid of her."

"That wasn't my intention. I only thought she..."

His mouth went dry. This meant everything he thought the two of them had experienced the other night was real. The way she had smiled at him and the rush he had gotten every time she was near was real.

"Oh Gods..." he whispered.

What had he done now?...

"I will explain myself to her."

"It doesn't matter now. She won't be back for another week or so."

"Why?" he asked quickly, his voice a little higher then usual.

"She's got to work on the models. You blew it."

He watched as she turned and left, Larry following after her. He didn't know what he should do. He had no idea how to handle situations like this, they were so few and far between for him. She had been nothing but sweet and just because she had forgotten to write him once, he jumped to his own conclusions. Now he had no choice but to sit, and wait for her to return so he could apologize to her.

"Bloody brilliant..." he sighed to himself.


	15. Chapter 15

**~I just want to thank all of you guys that have written comments and reviews. I love reading them cause they make me all excited to keep going. Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy!~**

**Ch. 14: Thoughts and Decisions**

It was an unusually cold night for spring. Her hair was down, for once, and the light breeze would carry it effortlessly with every change in direction. Jasmine grabbed her coat, holding it tighter to her body until a particularly icy breeze had passed. The city looked so peaceful from her perch. Street lamps flickered on the corners, the traffic lights added small traces of color in the sea of orange and the loud commotion of New York had been reduced to a dull roar. It was peaceful.

She had been working so hard on the figures lately, relieved she was nearly finished. A couple still had to be molded, their clothing made, but they were making great progress. She had high hopes they would be finished a little early and look wonderful. Tomorrow however, was when the big boys came to play.

Burt and his team of three were going to arrive tomorrow morning around nine o'clock to begin dismantling things. The Egyptian wing of the museum was going to be closed for a few weeks and McPhee was not above letting her know how much of an inconvenience it was. The demolition did bring her some form of relief, or at least watching the pompous little Brit squirm did. The thought of him freaking out at every turn made her laugh, but there was a problem.

Jasmine didn't trust the men to move Ahkmenrah, especially knowing his situation. She didn't want them to accidentally jostle him, knock him against something, or god forbid drop him. She knew the best way to solve the problem was to simply ask. She was going to ask the Anubis guardians to pick up and move Ahkmenrah's sarcophagus and ask Ahk to sleep with the tablet until the construction was over. She did feel a little bad for him though. There wasn't anywhere she thought was safe enough to put him, so he was going to have to stay in the far corner of the exhibit while the men worked.

Then again, there was a part of her that didn't care that it would cause him discomfort. He had truly hurt her feelings with the last note he had written her. His words were cold and distant, something she hadn't experienced in the others. As a result, she had to keep herself busy avoiding his exhibit and the museum as much as possible just to keep him out of her head. All of her planning and 'egg-shell walking' however, was about to come to an end. If she was going to have the sarcophagus and tablet moved before the contractors arrived, she was going to have to speak with him, face to face.

So there she sat, all by herself in the cold night air, trying to build the courage to do it.

....

Eleven days, and tonight would be twelve. He still found himself making his way to her office at least once a night, trying to see if there would be anything left behind for him. There wasn't. He didn't understand why he would check more then once a night, he only knew there was an urge to do so and he couldn't fight it.

She was in the exhibit, three days ago, he knew it. He heard the sound of her heels clicking against the marble floors as she approached. He felt her come close, within a few feet of him, but still remaining quiet. He found himself willing her to speak to him, thinking that if he wished hard enough she would. He wondered how he had felt so certain it was her? He couldn't believe that he had been paying so much attention to the young woman, he now knew how she walked, able to pick it out from all of the footsteps he heard throughout the day. But if she ever came to visit him, she never spoke, not once. What did he honestly expect her to say? He was the one who had cut things off, so in reality it should have been him making the first move.

Ahkmenrah had tried, writing her again, but every time he stared at the blank piece of paper nothing would come out. The tip of the pencil would rest on the sheet for so long, he had forgotten what he was doing in the first place. Where was he supposed to begin? Sorry may have been a good place but every time he tried he couldn't do it. Why was he having such a hard time apologizing? It should have been easy. all he had to do was say 'Jasmine, I'm sorry', and yet he was having a ridiculously hard time doing it.

Perhaps her staying away was the best thing. He didn't want to admit it to himself and it was hurting him more then he thought, but he had to rationalize the decision. Point one, it was his fault she had left, so he had to deal with it. Point two, he was only awake during the night. Point three, his fate was tied to the tablet. If anything were ever to happen to it, or the two were separated, he would never wake again. Three points was all he needed... As long as he repeated those to himself, he would be okay.

As he stood from his coffin, straightening his robes, Ahkmenrah let out a sigh of relief. He had dealt with more heartbreaking things then these, so he knew he would be okay...

"Hey Ahk!" Larry exclaimed as the young King came walking to his side. "What are you doing down here?"

The Pharaoh looked puzzled at the mans remark. Where else would he be?

"I just thought you'd be upstairs." Larry said, noticing the man's confusion.

Again, Ahkmenrah had no idea what the night guard was talking about. What strange questions...

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I just thought you'd be talking to Jazz."

His heart fell.

"She will no longer speak with me. We have not been in contact for the past few days."

"Really? That sucks."

The smile on the other man's face was unnerving to Ahk. It seems the man he thought was his friend was finding enjoyment in his situation.

"Why are you smiling?" he finally asked, irritation evident in his voice.

Despite doing something stupid, Ahkmenrah found no humor in it.

"Well, the thing is, I thought you'd be talking to her tonight... "

Again he was smiling. The young Pharaoh was becoming angry. Larry glanced sideways at his friend, hoping he got the joke. He didn't. Larry had never seen the young man look so mad before, and he felt all of it aimed at him.

The night guard turned to face him, staring at his friend and wondering why he could possibly be so mad at him.

"Are you mad at me?"

"I find nothing funny about this situation and it escapes me why you do."

"I thought you knew she was here tonight. I was just messing with you." Larry defended, his hands coming up to calm the King.

Ahkmenrah's eyes opened wide in astonishment. Was he lying? No. There weren't any signs that indicated Larry was being untruthful, there wasn't any need. That meant she really was in the museum.

He felt his heart begin to beat erratically within his chest, threatening to break through if he didn't calm himself. He was finally given his chance to talk to her, to try and explain why he had said what he had said.

"Where?" was all he could manage to ask.

"The roof." Larry smiled. "She needed to talk to you about something."

Larry smiled happily as he watched his friends golden robe sway with his hasty exit.

The steps went by quickly, the Pharaoh taking two of them at a time as he sprinted to the roof. She was here and she wanted to speak with him. She actually wanted to talk to him. He threw the door to the roof open and bounded outside. He glanced around frantically, trying to find some sign of her. Nothing.

Slowly, he stepped forward, ready to search for her. His feet made little to no sound as they walked over the graveled roof. The wind whipped around one of the air conditioning ducts, hitting him hard in the face and tossing his robe around like it was nothing. Despite the wind, he still advanced, determined to find her.

Coming around another large configuration of duct work, he saw her. Sitting on one of the many air conditioning units, was Jasmine. There was almost no control left within him at the sight of her. His breath was labored, as though he had been running for miles, as his heartbeat quickened. His face flushed as blood rushed to his cheeks. The heat he had felt in his face began to radiate through him, enveloping him completely. He had to calm himself.

After a multitude of slow, deep breaths, he advanced. Ahkmenrah felt his hands shaking as he came closer to her. He had to steady himself. He had to calm his nerves or he was going to do something else stupid and driving her off permanently. The fear of that realization was enough to snap him into reality. Still he advanced.

When he was within arms length of her, he took advantage of it. After steadying himself, he extended his hand and placed it gently on her shoulder.


	16. Chapter 16

**Ch. 16: The Next Step  
**

While deep in thought, trying to figure out what she was going to do, the young woman had managed to phase everything out. She no longer heard the cars in the streets, the random

'night-owls' walking on the sidewalks, or the sound of the music coming from within the museum. The only sound in her ears was her own voice.

_Just swallow your pride and do it..._she thought. _Just go down there and tell him you want him to move his things so they won't get damaged. How hard is that? _

_But what if he wants me to stay and talk? _

_No. He made his feelings obvious last time. _

_But what if _I_ want to stay and talk? _

_No. All you need is to tell him what's what and leave._

_But what if..._

_No. Just no..._

The conversation she was having with herself was slightly unnerving, especially since she was answering herself as well. But she had grown accustomed to thinking strangely when it came to Ahkmenrah. Everything about him confused and excited her. Nothing about him made sense. He was walking around, talking and there is no rational reason why. But he was so wonderful to be around. His smile, his eyes, his voice, his lips... Everything about him was so... contradicting.

Those thoughts needed to be forced out of her head. He didn't want to start anything with her, including a friendship, so thinking about him like that was pointless. Depsite the wonderful letters, the sweet words and that damn kiss, he had broken anything they had and could have off.

Her head dipped at her disappointment and she felt the cold air sting her eyes as tears began to form. He was the first person she had ever had that kind of connection with. jasmine had tried dating before but never had any luck. The men she had been set up with or had met on her own were always one of two things. They were either completely idiotic, being nothing more then men who were more then content in remaining at the fourth grade level of maturity, or stupid. The last man she had dated had asked her the usual questions associated with a first date, but when it came to her job... there was some confusion. She had tried to explain what and Egyptologist did and found out, very quickly, she have better luck explaining it to a child. At least a child has an imagination, this guy was hopeless.

But when she had met Ahkmenrah, all of that had gone out the window. The memories of the morons she had met before faded into obscurity and disappeared forever. He was everything she thought she had wanted. He was intelligent, sweet, well spoken, laid back, and it was completely impossible for him to know nothing about her job. He was actually the focus of some of her studies, a thought that still made her smile. His looks were the final thing. She had already been drawn in by his words and everything else that it didn't matter what he looked like. The fact that he was attractive was a pleasant side effect, but a side effect none-the-less. If anything, he was like a rock star to her.

As she sat there, staring into nothingness, she felt something touch her shoulder. The sudden touch sent her flying more then a foot into the air, twisting around to see the offender.

"Bleeding Christ." she screamed, landing on the gravel roof with an incredible thud.

"I apologize." he said, quickly kneeling at her side to help her up. "Are you alright?"

Her eyes traveled up the familiar arms that had stretched out to help her to those eyes. Those damn eyes.... They pierced through the fear and held her attention completely. She had dreamed of those eyes while she slept, seen them while she worked, and prayed she would see them again. She froze.

Her heart began to thud loudly in her ears as she realized he was touching her. Jasmine's mouth was dry as he lifted her to her feet, and her knees were shaking once she stood. Unfortunately, the latter of those three reactions made her topple to the roof once more. But she hadn't hit the ground... He caught her. He was holding her close to his chest, still staring into her eyes, cradling her. She had been right. He was strong.

Slowly, the young man helped her to her feet once more, not letting go until she was seated back on the unit. She was shaking, something she was sure he noticed. The only problem was, she wasn't sure if it was because of him, or the cold. It was the cold, yeah... definitely the cold.

Ahkmenrah smiled inwardly at her reaction to him being near. He didn't mean to laugh at her original fear, but it was humorous. But now he was here, holding her close to him. The young King had suddenly forgotten what he had come up here for in the first place. Oh yes, he had wanted to see her.

"Um...Are you alright?" he finally asked again.

He was grateful he had been able to form the words and keep his voice from wavering.

"Yes... I'm fine. Thank you." she replied, pulling away from him to sit on her own.

Ahk was disappointed she had pulled away at all. He wanted to continue holding her, continue smelling the sweet smell that emanated from her skin.

Jasmine was growing more and more nervous. She had been hiding out up here to steady her nerves before going down there to talk with him. She had planned on going into the museum once she was rady, but now she had no choice. She had to face him and talk to him now... She wasn't ready for this.

"Have you been hiding up here long?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Hm? No, I wasn't hiding." she lied. "I was just thinking."

"May I ask what about?"

She paused for a moment. Should she come right out and ask him about moving his things, or should she wait. Better yet, should she ask him about that letter on her desk? The longer she thought about that letter, the more the feelings about it began to surface. She was beginning to get angry and he needed to explain himself.

"Why did you write that on my desk?" she blurted.

The Pharaoh had been taken aback by her sudden question. If anything, he was expecting an answer to his, not that. As he tried to straighten out his thoughts, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that she was staring at him. When he turned his head slightly, he noticed she was staring at him with judgment in her eyes. He hadn't seen anything like that in a woman's eyes before. The man suddenly realized what that poor man she had called Burt must have felt like. It was truly frightening.

"I... I don't know." he said, looking away from her prying eyes.

He didn't like how mean they looked right now. She was meant for beauty, not anger.

"Don't lie to me. You wrote it with some kind of intent, and I simply want to know what that was."

He didn't answer, a lump forming in his throat.

"Was it your plan to hurt my feelings?"

Again, he remained silent. She sighed loudly before speaking again.

"I thought the two of us felt some kind of connection, if anything friendship. I don't understand what prompted such a response. Did I do something wrong?"

_Of course not, _he wanted to say. No, he wanted to yell it, but the words wouldn't come out. The lump in his throat grew to the point of suffocation. It wasn't her fault. He had done something rash, that was all.

At the man's silence, Jasmine felt her heart sink once more. She had enough of this and had something to get off her chest.

"You have been the only man I thoroughly enjoyed being around." she said, standing from her seat and glancing down at him for a moment. "Perhaps it was one sided. I need you to have the guardians move your sarcophagus to the far corner and I would like for you to keep the tablet in there with you. To keep it safe."

He glanced up at her as she spoke. Her eyes were glassy, reflecting the dim light from the streets. He felt hurt that her voice was cold and distant as she spoke, but he deserved it. As she stared down at him, he could tell she was waiting for some kind of response. One never came.

Jasmine's vision was becoming blurry as she looked down at Ahkmenrah. Trying to remedy it, she blinked, releasing a stream of tears. She wasn't crying, not completely, not yet. That would come later, when she was all by herself and not in front of him.

Small traces of liquid escaped her green orbs, gliding delicately down her lightly bronzed cheeks, falling from her chin. Never in his life, had he felt as low as he did at this moment. His stupidity had made her cry. Ahkmenrah tried to open his mouth but before he could, she had already began to walk away.

He blinked his eyes multiple times, trying to think of something to do. Whatever it was, he was going to have to act quick. He quickly stood from his seat and sprinted after her. She had nearly made it to the door, her hand outstretched towards the knob, when he grabbed her.

Ahk's hand clamped tightly around her upper arm, swinging her around to face him. Before she could protest, he placed his lips on hers. Jasmine felt the urge to push him away, to make him let her go. How dare he think this would make everything better... But it had.

Within seconds, Jasmine felt herself conform to his body as he pulled back enough to grip her bottom lip. She felt comfortable, like everything that was happening had happened before and it was completely normal. Her arms swung around his neck, holding tightly as the world around her spun into chaos, glorious chaos.


	17. Chapter 17

**Ch. 17: Something New  
**

She felt herself fall into him as her arms came around his neck. She had to find something to steady her shaking body, and he was as good as anything else. Her grip on him tightened when she felt him take her bottom lip into his. She had thought about this, dreamed about this, and now it was a reality. Her mind raced as her body did its best to keep up.

Ahkmenrah's hand came to her hip, pulling her into him as his other hand tightened in her hair. He wanted her to stay where she was and make sure he could taste every bit of her. His teeth gripped her bottom lip lightly, electing a small gasp from her. It was the sweetest sound he had ever heard in all his years of life. She was more receptive to his touch then he ever thought she would have been and he wanted more.

Still holding her firmly, his tongue came forward, lightly prying its way into her mouth. The touch of her tongue against his sent him through his skin. The young Pharaoh was lucky enough to not feel heat or cold, (a side-effect of being dead) but she had managed to send shivers down his back. Goose bumps formed on his bare skin which only seemed to grow as her hands moved.

Jasmine didn't want this simple act to end. It was a culmination of so many different emotions. Her hand had slipped from his shoulder and moved along his neck. Her fingertips dug into his soft skin as they made their way up the back of his neck, peeking in slightly under his head dress. Her cheeks flushed as the blood rushed to her head making her more, and more dizzy. Perfect.

As the two of them stood there, entwined in one another's embrace, she felt something poking her stomach. Her mind instantly cleared. There was no way... There was no possible way that could be what she thought it was... At the prospect of something more fun to come, the young woman pulled back.

The sudden movement frightened the young Pharaoh for a moment, a feeling that disappeared as he stared into her eyes. They were brighter then before. They had gone from a crystal green, to a bright emerald shade, glinting beautifully in the light. But that wasn't what held her attention. Jasmine was smiling. It wasn't even a real smiled, more of an astonished smirk. He eyed her curiously as she glanced down. The young man's face instantly reddened brighter then he had ever thought with some one of his skin shade.

"How is that possible?" she asked glancing down before looking back up at him.

His head cocked to the side. He refused to believe she hadn't had this reaction on another men. Even if she hadn't, she was more then intelligent enough to figure out what she had done to him. Seeing his questioning look, she laughed.

"What i mean is, I didn't think you had any blood left." she laughed.

Ahkmenrah had let out the breath he didn't even know he had been holding when she spoke.

"I mean, aren't you almost thirty-five _hundred_ years old?" she teased, smiling slyly. "I thought you'd be too old for that sort of thing..."

The young man narrowed his eyes at her as he smiled. She was being sarcastic, something he had learned to recognize over the years. His wide smile turned into a sweet grin as his hand came to her face, delicately moving a stray piece of hair out of the way. His hand lingered on her cheek after placing the renegade hair behind her ear. Slowly, he came down, kissing her lips lightly before resting his forehead on hers.

"Forgive my ignorance..." he whispered.

"Always..." she replied.

The two stood there for a moment that seemed to last forever before she finally pulled away from him.

"Perhaps we should go back inside."

He nodded his agreement. By now, he was sure Larry was either coming to his own conclusions or worried they had killed each other. So, going inside was going to be the best thing for them to do.

Ahkmenrah held out his arm and grinning like a kid in school, Jasmine let her arm come to rest onto of his. It was the he would have felt more comfortable instead of holding hands. In his day, and in the days of the old royals, it was common for the man to hold his arm horizontally, and the woman to let hers lay on that. But for some reason, she felt more comfortable then she thought she would have. It bothered her, only slightly, but still bothered her how well she seemed to 'fit' with him.

As the two walked down the hall into the main room of the museum, they managed to catch a few glances. Teddy had noticed them first, smiling jovially as they came closer. The man was a hopeless romantic and delighted in seeing people happy, even though it may have taken him a while to allow himself to have the same.

"So, you guys didn't kill each other?" Larry joked as the two walked to him.

"I thought about pushing him off the roof," Jasmine began, glancing to the man on her arm before laughing. "But what's a display without the main interest?"

"Is that the only reason?" he teased. "Shame."

Larry laughed. The two of them were on better terms, that much was obvious. He hadn't seen exactly what had gone on and Ahkmenrah wasn't a very 'open' person when it came to his person thoughts, so the only thing Larry had to go on was what he had seen with Rebbecca. He was out of the loop like usual, but he was relatively sure that was where he wanted to be in this situation.

"I need to have a look at the display." Jasmine finally said, letting her arm fall loose from the young man's grip.

"Of course."

...

Inside the tomb, Ahkmenrah had stood back and allowed Jasmine to do what she needed. He smiled to himself as she spoke respectfully to the Anubis guards, asking them if they could move the sarcophagus. Each of the nodded to her, bowing slightly as the began their awkward crawl through the small entryway. It took them a moment to figure out only one would fit inside the smaller chamber, but when they had, things began to move smoothly.

He watched as the great statue knelt low and gripped the crypt gently in his hands. Jasmine muttered a few words, telling him to be as gentle as possible to avoid breaking the glass, he agreed. Slowly, the guardian lifted to tomb in his hands, carefully holding it, waiting for her instructions. There was a perfect spot in the far corner. It was out of the way, there would be no need for the contractors to place their things or go anywhere near it, so she knew it would be safe. Cautiously, the statue set it down, pushing it lightly against the wall. She muttered her gratitude and bowed slightly to her helper, watching as he crawled back to his place.

All that was left now was the tablet. Jasmine was careful as she extended her hands towards it, fearing she would damage the solid gold artifact. Gold was so fragile, bending easily, denting and scratching with little to no effort. It was always a curious thing to her that so many ancient civilizations used gold for things other then jewelry. It just seemed so unnecessary when there were so many other stronger metals, but it was prettier to look at.

As her hands reached for the tablet, Jasmine felt a strange sensation emanating from the object. It was pulsing. the young woman immediately retracted her hands. Her eyes narrowed as she stepped closer. Why was this thing giving off a pulse? It wasn't a living object... Shaking the thought from her head, she extended her hands once again towards the object, ignoring the tricks her mind was playing with her. Once her fingers made contact, her mind had become flooded with images she didn't recognize. Her head ached as the images forced their way inside despite her protests. Her grip tightened around the object. She was more determined now to take it in her hands then before, thinking that would stop the hallucinations.

Ahkmenrah noticed something was wrong the moment she touched the tablet. He saw her eyes squeeze shut, her back straightened and her fingers close around the gold trinket. Something was wrong, very, very wrong. He rushed to her side, trying to think of something he could do to detach her from the object. A scream sounded loudly in his ears. She was screaming loudly, her voice dripping with pain and fear. Enough was enough.

He stepped behind her, placed his arms around her waist and pulled her back as hard as he could. There was no movement for a moment. Something was holding her tightly, tighter then he could. The tablet would have come out easily if some one had grabbed it which meant there was some unseen force holding on to it, and Jasmine. He readied himself once more and pulled, still nothing happened. There was something else, something in the distance. Foot steps.

Ahk let go of her for a split second, turning in time to see Teddy and Larry running into the display. The look of shock and fear on their faces was enough to chill his blood. Desperate to free her from the invisible hold, Ahkmenrah grabbed her around the waist again. The two men who had come running towards the scream that had echoed through the museum took their cue from the young Pharaoh and ran to his aid. With the combined help of all three, they heaved once more, wrenching her from the tablet.

The four of them fell hard onto the empty platform behind them, each grateful Teddy had been on the bottom to absorb the impact with his wax body. The former president however, was thankful his battle scar didn't sever. Sacajawea, what a wonderful woman. But as they dispersed, separating from the mass of bodies, they were able to get a better look at the young woman.

She was unconscious, laying still on the ground, the tablet in her hands. Slowly, Ahkmenrah knelt down by her side, taking her hands in his and gently prying her fingers loose. Left behind in the delicate metal, were her finger prints. Her grip had been so strong, she had left clear fingerprints in the two inch thick slab. He quickly handed the artifact to Larry and went back to her. His hand came to her face, moving her disheveled hair from her face, trying his best to get a better look. She looked peaceful, finally calm after the torrent of activity.

"What the hell happened?" Larry finally asked.

"I don't know... She touched the tablet and then... this."

He knelt down lower to her, his lips near her ear.

"Jasmine... wake up." he whispered, his heart heavy.


	18. Chapter 18

**This one's pretty short but i kinda needed the transitional chapter to get to some more interesting stuff. I want to thank you guys again for all of the comments and reviews. They're much appreciated.  
**

**Ch. 18**

"Wake up..."

The words were nothing more then a whisper in the darkness. Her body was heavy, taking all of her energy to lift her eyelids. Her surroundings were fuzzy, everything out of focus, and a loud ringing began to replace the sweet voice she had heard earlier. The light... it hurt her eyes. She blinked repetitively, trying to steady her headache and focus on the things around her. When her vision had cleared. Three men she recognized leaned over her, their faces serious as she tried to sit up.

"Be careful my dear." she heard Teddy tell her.

Jasmine felt arms on her back, helping to steady her as she sat up.

"Are you alright?" Larry asked her.

"Yeah..." she mumbled holding her head in her hands. "I think so. What happened?"

"Well my dear, you seem to have had some sort of adverse reaction while in contact with the tablet." Teddy told her as Larry and Ahkmenrah helped her stand.

"Tablet?"

Jasmine wavered, nearly losing her balance as she stood.

"Jasmine, are you..."

"I think I'm going to be sick..."

Before Ahkmenrah could finish his sentence, she had interrupted him and run from the exhibit. There the three men stood, questioning looks on their faces, unsure of what exactly had just taken place.

...

Inside the ladies room on the second floor, Jasmine had just expelled everything she had eaten in the last day, but it helped settle her fluttering stomach. Right now, she didn't care what happened, nor did she understand. The only thing that mattered was the cold water she was splashing on her face, everything else disappeared.

After sufficiently wetting her face, Jasmine reached behind her for a paper towel, her face still drip drying over the sink. The cold water had helped more then she thought and now all she had to do was wipe it off and try to find out what happened. She buried her face into her hands, wiping and drying the left over water.

As she finished wiping her chin, she looked up into the mirror. A flash of some one that wasn't her was looking back. Jasmine jumped back, nearly slipping on the slick floor. Her heart pumped hard in her chest as she tried to regain the courage to look again.

_Knock, knock, knock_

"Jazz? You in there?"

It was Larry. She breathed deep, doing her best to calm down before answering.

"Yeah..." was all she could manage.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"No. I'm... I'm coming out."

With one last uncertain glance at the mirror, the young woman left the large bathroom. Outside, she had a large welcome. Standing there, waiting for her was the trio of men like before, each looking extremely worried, and Sacajawea along with the Huns. A royal welcome of sorts.

Jasmine smiled nervously at them as she stepped out. Never had she felt so self conscious in her life then coming out of a bathroom with an audience.

"Are you alright?" Ahkmenrah asked, stepping forward slightly.

She smiled sweetly as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I... think I'm going to head home, get a bit of rest." she finally told them.

"That might be best my dear." Teddy told her.

"I'll walk you out."

The young King held out his arm once again and the two made their way towards the front doors. He wanted to ask her what had happened, what she felt when she touched the tablet, but he knew she was as clueless as him. It had never done anything like that before, the tablet. So many people had come in contact with it, and this was the first time there was any reaction. It worried him. He knew the amount of power the tablet held and something was obviously wrong.

A shock of fear hit him. What if the tablet was loosing its power? Did what happen earlier mean the tablet was no longer going to bring them to life at night? Was this going to be the last time he was going to see Jasmine?

The last thought frightened him. He didn't want nothing but memories when it came to her. Sure he didn't to sleep forever either, but never seeing her again was worse.

As the two of them reached the front door, Ahkmenrah swung her around to face him once more, his lips making contact with hers. It was different then before, the same but different. He felt more comfortable then before but it still felt new. It was an odd sensation that he paid little attention to in the end. If this was going to be the last chance he was going to see her, then he was going to make sure neither of them was going to forget it.

When her arms flew around his neck like they had before, she felt complete. Something about this was right, like it was meant to be this way and had been for so long. No thinking. No speaking. Only actions. She was in a beautiful euphoria, engulfed in nothing but pleasure. As the two of them remained stranded in their own world of perfection, Jasmine felt something on her leg. A slight repetitive tug on her pant leg caused her to pull away from her actions and glance down.

There, at her feet, sat a small Capuchin monkey with a ring of keys in his hand. She smiled, laughing slightly at him as she knelt down. Dexter grabbed her extended hand and quickly lept to her shoulder, holding the keys in his hands firmly.

"For me? Thank you." she smiled reaching for the keys.

As her hand inched closer, he pulled them back. She eyed him for a moment before reaching for them again. Once again, he pulled back.

"What do you want then?"

The small primate smiled, cocking his head to the side before leaning forward and kissing her lightly on the cheek. Jasmine couldn't help but laugh, something that she heard from the Egyptian King as well. Obliging him, the young woman leaned in and kissed Dexter's head. Almost instantly, the little monkey handed her the multitude of keys.

"Cheeky devil." she muttered under her breath as he leapt away, running off into the museum.

The young woman turned and unlocked the door quickly before handing Ahkmenrah Larry's keys.

"Until next time." he said sweetly, leaning in and kissing her forehead.

"Good night."

He watched as she waved before leaving the museum completely. His heart dropped slightly at the prospect of never seeing her again. She was beautiful and he knew that if she had been around in his time, there was no doubt she would be one of the most sought after women in the kingdom. But she was his, for now.


	19. Chapter 19

**Ch . 19: A Sudden Realization  
**

"Your highness..."

The voice wrenched the young man from his thoughts. He had been staring out into his kingdom from the safety of his own suite. The sight below him still managed to take his breath away. People walking, caring for nothing as they made their way home. Soldiers off to the side practicing their formations. The warm air of the night caring the sound easily from miles away. It was his version of heaven.

Hearing the young boy behind him, the Pharaoh turned, walking in from his balcony. He said nothing as he waited for the boy to stand from his kneeling position.

"The priestess has arrived."

"Thank you. Show her in."

The boy left for a brief moment, more then enough time. The Pharaoh fidgeted nervously, doing his best to straighten his robes, adjust his head dress, and appear as regal as possible. With in seconds, the boy returned, the priestess behind him. The King's breath caught in his throat as it always did when she arrived. He swore she expelled it from him on purpose. How else would he always be breathless around her?

She was a stunning creature. Black hair that seemed to pick up the light around her, the highlights showing blue. Her out fit something he had always admired. She always wore the same thing. A metallic breast plate, made in white gold instead of the standard yellow. It was ornately decorated, carved beautifully. Her mid drift was always bare, the lean muscles in her stomach flexing as she walked. The same type of design from her breast plate was mimicked in the metal belt that hung low on her hips, a deep purple, sheer silk flowing from it, dragging the ground as she walked. Her arms were decorated as well with similar cuffs on her upper arms, the same fabric falling to her finger tips, wrist cuffs underneath. A veil covered the lower half of her face, more sheer then the rest of the fabric, decorated with bead work and connected to the metal plate that concealed the bun on the back of her head. But despite all of this, it was always her eyes. Through the thin black make up their people wore, her bright green eyes appeared all the more striking with the dark contrast. They always seemed to haunt him, something he wouldn't change for the world.

"Mayat-Su-Namun, please come in."

She nodded to him before the Pharaoh waved his hand for the boy to leave. The young woman walked smoothly towards him, appearing as though she was gliding through the air. Her hands were crossed lightly in front of her, her eyes on the ground to show her respect for her King. As she came to a stop a foot in front of him, he couldn't stop himself.

On its own, his hand came to her face. He made quick work of the veil, detaching it from her head dress and letting it fall to the side revealing her painted lips. Her eyes slowly made their way to his, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Mayati." he whispered happily.

In an instant, he swept her into his arms, hugging her tightly. He spun for a moment, his robe and her skirt swaying in the wind before stopping. Her feet lightly hit the cool ground as he set her down. Before she could do anything, his mouth closed on hers once more, like it had all those previous nights alone. He hated having to be so secretive, but there was no other way. If he wanted to keep her in his life, this was the only way that could take place.

Her lips were soft and she tasted like sweet milk, supple and delicate. He nibbled at them, devouring the flavor that seemed to be sweeter then anything he had ever tasted before He felt her heart beating against him, felt her moan under his touch. Everything was perfect again.

With quick hands, he grabbed her backside, heaving her effortlessly into the air. The young woman gasped as the air fled her lungs at the sudden movement. She smiled wide as her legs wrapped around his hips as he began walking with her. The two giggled like children as he walked into another chamber of his room, his deep brown eyes never leaving hers. Before he reached his target location, her smile faded.

"What is the matter?" he asked quietly.

"Acineth..."

That name sent chills down the young man's neck. He had honestly thought about outlawing any family from naming their daughter that, just to prevent him from ever having to hear it again. It was his _betrothed_. He didn't want to call her his wife, because they weren't married yet. He didn't want to say she was his fiance because that meant he had a choice. she was nothing more then the woman his parents had picked out for him to marry. She meant nothing to him.

When she would walk with him, she would act as though she was already the Queen, ordering people about, telling them to do demeaning things for her amusement. She was ugly to him. To the rest of the people, she was a beautiful woman. Her figure was ideal, her teeth white and straight, her features fair, she was the epitome of Egyptian beauty, but her personality made him see otherwise. She was cruel, black-hearted, and an all around horrible person.

"What's the only thing I asked you to do?" he asked the woman in his arms.

"Never mention her name." she answered simply.

"I never wanted something so ugly..." he said, his thumb coming up and lightly touching her bottom lips. "Come from something so beautiful."

He leaned in once more and kissed her lightly before letting them fall. He felt her pull back from him, gasping before her back hit the soft, papyrus stuffed bed. When they had situated themselves, she smiled kindly, her eyes still the only thing he could focus on.

"I have never been happier." he whispered, smiling as he touched her delicate face.

"We can not continue this..." she muttered, her voice soft.

The young man's face dropped. Those weren't the words he wanted to hear.

"What do you mean?"

"You are soon to be married and your brother has been watching closely. Things are not safe any longer. I'm afraid, my mother and I will be leaving Cairo tomorrow night... We're taking the tablet too." she whispered. "I am sorry."

The tablet had created more problems then he thought it would have when he asked her and her family to create it. Her mother was the most powerful priestess in Egypt and she had spent all of her life training her daughter. She had done so very well. They had used the multiple spells they had at their disposal and etched them into the tablet. The women in her family was the ones who were meant to guard it, keeping it safe until the Pharaoh needed it.

The reason it was causing so many problems, was the brother. He had been trying to get a hold of it for a long time so they had to keep it on the move, hidden in various places to keep it from the prying eyes of his spies. He wanted it, badly, to throw his brother from the throne and regain what was rightfully his, something Mayati couldn't let happen. After getting the throne, there was no telling what he would use his power for.

So now, the young Pharaoh was being told the woman he cared for was having to leave. He wasn't going to see her again, and it was because of his moronic brother.

"He is not a problem." the young man said, trying to reassure her the best he knew how. "My brother will not find out."

"If he does, you will lose the crown and he will have access to the tablet. You know we serve the Pharaoh... I will not have that on my head. He is too close."

"Closer then you think my dear."

The new voice made the two of them jump, staring into the darkness of the corner. Her back tightened and the young King felt her shake within his grip. Out from the shadows stepped an imposing man with an evil grin on his face, seven soldiers standing behind him.

"Ah, little brother. It seems you have been busy."

Infuriated for the disturbance, the young man stood from his bed, eying his older brother angrily.

"You will leave here now." he hissed.

"I think not." his brother replied, almost singing the words.

With a wave of his hand, the seven men surged forward and seized the young woman, gripping her tightly in their hands. She screamed as they heaved her into the air, her wrists and ankles clamped securely in their grip. Fighting valiantly against them was not enough. The large men simply held tight, walking out of the room with the young girl in hand.

"No! Ahkmenrah! Help me!" she screamed, her voice wavering and shaky.

Her voice echoed in his ears sending his heart plummeting. Her eyes looked pained to him as she stared into his soul. She was frightened and there was no hiding it, tears streaming from her beautiful eyes.

"I will have your head for this! Where are you taking her?"

"That is none of your concern little brother. You have to realize you can't have everything. Either the crown or the mistress and since mummy and daddy loved you sooo much and gave you the entire throne, I think I can have her." The smile that crossed his lips made the young King's blood chill.

"I will not stand for this." the man hissed again.

"You have no choice baby brother. If you go after her, the Queen will know and there is no telling what damage she might do."

His vision tunneled, trained on the man before him, white rage flashing before his eyes. He was going to kill this man, despite their relation. This was unforgivable.

"Ahkmenrah!"

The voice echoed through the halls, her screams carrying far.

He suddenly shot up, knocking his head hard into the top to his sarcophagus. He had been sleeping, safely in his coffin like so many days before. Nothing had changed. Slowly, he lifted the lid, opening it to the light of the exhibit. He had slept with the tablet resting on his chest. He glanced down questioningly at the piece of gold. But everything had been so clear, he could even smell the air. It was like he had been there once again, and her face was in complete focus. He knew her... he recognized her...

"Jasmine."


	20. Chapter 20

**Ch. 20:Coming to Reality**

Jasmine downed her 6th vente mocha frapachinno with a double shot of espresso since she had woken up. The young woman had more or less passed otu when she had gotten home from the museum. Her head was throbbing, her body was drained, and her mind was thoroughly gone. She was fairly sure it had left a long time ago and had no plans on returning.

She was woken by a horrifying dream. It was the same thing she had gone through so many times before, but it had felt like it was happening to her. She felt as though it was her being stabbed. She had felt the life leave her body and something that jarring was hard to forget. When she had woken up after hour and a half long 'nap' and was not about to let herself fall asleep again. It was too frightening.

So there she sat, in a chair in her living room, staring out her window at the city below that seemed to be waking up. She had watched her first sunrise in a long time, and it was all because she was scared to go to sleep. Her hand was shaking as she tried to make herself a pot of her own coffee. She had too much caffeine running through her system and she knew it but she didn't care. the horrible crash that was going to follow would have to wait, she wasn't going to sleep until she had to.

The dream wasn' t the only thing on her mind though. Ahkmenrah. He had been forcing his way into her head like he had before. But this time, instead of speculation, she knew what it was like. She knew what it felt like to have him hold her. She knew how her heart would race when he kissed her. She knew how her knees would buckle just at the sight of him. There were a lot of things she knew about him, but still a few questions lingering. The most prominent being what had happened to her.

She remembered reaching for the tablet and feeling it pulse before she grabbed it and the next thing was having this incredible weight on her chest as she opened her eyes to see the others around her. she felt sick to the point of almost not hearing anything around her and all she knew, was there was time that was unaccounted for. Jasmine didn't want to stay around to find out what had happened, she only wanted to sleep. So at 3:32 a.m., she laid down on her bed, her head hit the pillow, and she was dead to the world. At 4:58 a.m., she was awakened from her nightmare, and refused to go back.

But, Jasmine knew she was going to have to go back to work, and she would most likely go to see Ahkmenrah again. She wasn't sure when she would be able to visit him while he was awake, but she was going to have to keep an eye on Burt. The models still had to be finished and she was going to have to divide her time between the two locations. She was going to be stretched thin as it was and now with the dreams getting worse and her and Ahkmenrah on better terms, Jasmine had no idea how she was going to be able to be in so many places at once. There were only 24 hours in a day.

Her eyes were getting heavy as she poured about half a cup of sugar into a standard size coffee mug. If she wanted, she was sure she could put a sugar in it and let it stand on it's own. It was how she liked it. As she stirred the sugar in, hoping the coffee was hot enough to actually dissolve this much sugar, she sat back in her chair.

...

A blaring horn from a car on the street below woke her in a start. The cold coffee poured from her cup as she jerks awake. Looking around, Jasmine realized she had fallen asleep. A headache... of course a headache. You can't drink that much caffine without having one. She steadied herself as she stood, doing her best to keep the blood from rushing from her head. Glancing around, the young woman noticed the clock on her wall, 11:21 p.m. It had to be p.m., it was dark outside. Maybe she was going to be able to stop by the museum and see him tonight after all. Now all she was going to need was a shower, new clothes, and something to eat.

...

The young woman made her way up the steps to the museum, laughing when she heard the screaming of a 'goal' inside the building. she had given Larry a call, letting him know she was on her way, because she knew there was no way he would hear her otherwise. Thankfully, he had already unlocked it in preparation for her arrival. She assumed it was because he was going to be running around doing other things and wouldn't know when she actually arrived.

Walking in, Jasmine had to duck to avoid a rogue soccer ball to the head. Close call. She smiled to the players, giving Columbus a high five, and made her way towards the perch Larry and the young Pharaoh generally took. She glanced up. Nothing. It was then, in the distance, she heard Larry screaming. Fear gripped her and she ran into the downstairs hallway, hoping he was alright.

Rounding the corner, she saw Rexy pinning Larry to the ground, the night guard laughing heartily. She couldn't help but giggle at the situation. It was like some kind of giant dog trying its best to lick the man's face. The only problem was, the creature had no tongue. The end result was the giant nose, pinning the man to the ground, pushing him lightly from side to side.

"You alright there friend?" she finally asked.

The dinosaur immediately shot a look to her. He bounded after her happily, determined to play only to have his rib bone go flying by. A distraction she was thankful for.

"Thanks for that." Larry said, walking closer to her as he straightened his clothes. "How ya feeling?"

"Better. Not quite sure what happened but... there you have it." she replied honestly.

"Well, Ahk's been worried about you."

"Really?"

Her heart lept at the thought of the young man worrying about her. She wasn't sure why he would have been, but it was sweet none-the-less.

"Yeah. He's been acting a little weird though since he woke up."

"How do you mean?"

"I don't really know. i think he just hit his head too hard."

She shot him a questioning look. When would the man have hit his head? Larry noticed her staring at him out of the corner of his eye as the two of them walked and decided to explain.

"I guess he sat up too quick or something. He had a few slivers in his forehead."

"Did he forget there's a lid on his bed?"

Larry laughed. Jasmine hadn't meant it to be a joke, it was simply an observation, but looking back at the words she had said, it was slightly funny.

"Looks like."

As the two of them made their way to the stair way, Ahkmenrah appeared at the top, his eyes wide as he stared at her. Jasmine was slightly put off by the intensity of his gaze, it was unnerving. She actually felt a little hesitant about walking up to him to say hello.

The smile widened on the young man's face as he came down closer to her. He understood, he finally understood why she had come to the museum, why she was so familiar to him. That's why the tablet had such a strange reaction to her. She was one of the ones who was charged with it's protection.

"Mayati." he muttered as he got closer to her.

She didn't reply, not completely sure she had heard anything. He was only a few steps from her now and she had to try and decide what she was going to do, either stand where she was , or turn and walk away.

"Mayat-Su-Namun... You have finally come back to me."

She stood there, her eyes wide with surprise as he hugged her tightly.

"Beg pardon?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Ch. 21: The Past and Presence Collide**

The young woman stood there, her arms out to the side, unsure of what exactly was going on. She looked over to Larry who was giving her the same confused stare. He shrugged. He didn't know what he was supposed to do about it.

A few seconds went by and she was finally released from the Pharaoh's vice like grip. He held her shoulders, staring into her eyes, beaming like a child at Christmas. His smile however, faded slightly at her still shocked face.

"You... don't remember do you?"

"No?" she replied, uncertain of the correct response.

"You're Mayat-Su-Namun."

"Okay..."

Jasmine felt at this point she was humoring him. What was he talking about? Did he hit his head harder then Larry had thought? And who the hell was this Mayat person?

"You are the reincarnated form of the priestess Mayat-Su-Namun, one of the guardians of the tablet."

"Uh-huh..."

Jasmine took a step back from the young man, letting his hands fall from their perch. She was slightly nervous. The way he was staring at her, the certainty in his voice when he spoke was what bothered her the most. He seemed so sure of what he was saying, and yet, she had no clue.

"I think... I'm going to be walking this way now..." she replied, taking a step back from him.

"No." he replied, grabbing her tightly. "You have to understand who you really are."

She must remember, she had to. He held her upper arms tightly in his arms in his hands, staring deeply into her eyes. He desperately wanted her to understand.

Jasmine was becoming frightened. The intensity in his eyes was truly scary. His sweet brown eyes were becoming darker the longer he stared at her. She had never seen anything like this before, especially not from him.

"Let go of me." she said quietly.

"You have to understand. You have been brought to me for a reason."

"Let go of me now." she said, wrenching her arms from his hands.

The two stared at each other for a moment before Jasmine ran up the stairs pass him, careful to avoid his shoulder. Right now, she had to get away from him, as far as she could. She ran to the only place she had felt comfortable last time, the roof. Reaching the door, she threw it open and didn't stop running until she was at the edge of the roof with nowhere else to go.

She felt the breath leave her body, tears forming in her eyes. What just happened? The man staring back at her down there wasn't the one she had seen just this morning. This version of Ahkmenrah was demanding, and she didn't like it. Jasmine blinked, releasing the tears from her eyes, letting them burn her cheeks as they fell. She paced nervously, trying her best to figure out what had just happened. As she tried to think, tried to straighten her head, she fell to her knees.

She felt hopeless, and weak and she didn't know why. She was shaking uncontrollably. She was scared. Something about that entire thing was bone chilling. She didn't understand anything about what was happening and wanted desperately to talk to some one. But who? The man she had come to care about in their short time together... his personality had completely changed.

As she sat there, crying into her knees, she heard something. The young woman shot up from her kneeling position, prepared to defend herself from the Pharaoh again if need be. Thankfully, it wasn't him. A very concerned Larry came walking up to her cautiously. When he was within a foot of her, Jasmine felt herself fall forward, hugging him tightly.

He felt her shaking, sobbing into his shoulder as he held her closely. The young man had no idea what something like that must feel like, nor how much it must have scared her, but he was willing to be there for her now. He squeezed her, knowing it would help make her feel safe. After a few minutes of them standing, Larry moved the two of them to a sitting position on the edge of the same AC unit she had sat on last time.

"Are you..." he stopped himself. That would be a stupid question. "Do you need anything?"

She didn't speak, only shook her head. Larry didn't press her, instead he sat there with her in complete silence for as long as she needed him to.

...

Twenty minutes had passed and Jasmine had finally said something.

"What happened?"

"I don't know..."

"Who is Mayati? Or Mayat-Su-Namun... Whoever..."

"I don't know." he repeated. "How are you feeling?"

"How am I feeling?"

Here it comes. He knew it was a stupid question, asking her something like that after what had just happened but it just slipped out. He couldn't snap his mouth shut fast enough.

"How would you feel if you were just told that you were a reincarnated priestess by a reanimated corpse of a three thousand year old Egyptian Pharaoh?"

The sentence made her laugh a little, something he was grateful to hear.

"Good point. But, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I suppose." she answered, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes and cheeks. "It was just... the look in his eyes. The certainty behind his words was a bit overwhelming. I've never seen a man act that way."

"I'm sure he didn't mean to scare you." he told her kindly, placing his arm around her shoulder for a sideways hug.

"Perhaps not but I'm going to have to hear those words from his mouth first."

"You wana go back down?"

"Not just yet. I think I'm going to stay up here for a moment. You can go if you want to."

"You sure?" he asked as he stood. "I could stay if you want."

"No." she smiled. "I'll be alright."

He nodded his understanding and turned to leave, glancing at her one more time before leaving through the door.

...

Sometime had passed before she felt comfortable enough to confront the man, she stood from her seat. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself, and made her way downstairs. As she came around the corner, she saw Larry standing in his usual place, his back to her. She took her time, still trying to steady her nerves and gather the courage as she walked up behind him, placing her hand on his shoulder briefly to alert him she was there. He turned and smiled.

"Feel better?"

"I suppose. Have you seen him?" she asked, looking around for the Pharaoh.

"I actually don't know where he went..." he replied, glancing around as well, spotting him in the distance. "Ah, there he is."

She turned, her back tightening in anticipation as the young man came walking closer. She was nervous, but that was understandable. jasmine left Larrys' side and began her approach, concentrating intently on her breathing.

The closer she got to him, the more Ahkmenrah made up his mind. He pulled the tablet out that he had been holding from behind his back. Jasmine froze. What was he doing? The young man began to read from the tablet, the words echoing loudly in her ears despite his voice being barely over a whisper.

She felt heat envelope her, squeezing breath from her. Her muscles tightened, her limbs going numb as he spoke. What was going on?


	22. Chapter 22

**Ch. 22: Actions and Consequences  
**

The world around her went dark, the sound disappearing into nothingness. The only thing she could hear, was the pharaoh's words. Her body convulsed, aching as she tried to stop what was happening. Flashes of images, emotions, and memories flooded her mind, forcing their way in despite protest.

Ahkemrah watched from a distance, his heart breaking as he stared into her pained face. He had to do this, there was no turning back. She had to remember. He was more determined then ever to have her be his once more. After his dream, everything was so clear. He felt as though he had been pushed into the light, surrounded by understanding. She had to do the same.

As the last word escaped the young man's lips, Jasmine collapsed. Everyone stood still, staring at the lifeless body laying on the floor. Larry had no idea what had happened. That seemed to be going on a lot lately....

As though they had a collective sign to go ahead, the two men rushed to her side. Larry felt for a pulse. She was still alive, that was a good sign, but she wasn't moving. The night guard wasn't even sure she was breathing, but he had at least felt a pulse. Ahkemrah stared down at her, terrified to actually touch her. What had he done? He may have just hurt her more then he thought he was going to. This was all his fault.

"Jazz. Hey Jazz, can you hear me?" Larry asked, placing his hand on her shoulder.

The instant his hand touched her, the air flooded her lungs in a loud gasp. Her eyes shot open, milky white at first but gaining color as she breathed deep. The sight of her eyes when they first opened sent each man stumbling back a foot. The loud gasp slowly quieted as her breathing returned to normal, but before either of them could get to her side once again, she moved.

Her eyes were wide as she stared at her surroundings. Where was she? This was unlike anywhere she had ever seen before. Her eyes trained on the man in front of her. Such strange clothing... a strange blue uniform... Before she could turn to look at the other man she saw in her peripheral vision, she heard a lion roar, drawing her attention elsewhere. Slowly she stood, wavering and falling quickly.

It was then she realized what she was wearing. The young woman picked at her clothes for a moment, wondering how they had gotten onto her body before finding the source of her fall. The strange things on her feet. Obviously they were some form of shoe, but they weren't hers. She ripped them off quickly and jumped to her feet as the T-Rex came walking through the main lobby. Her curiosity was peeked.

Ignoring the two men to her right, she walked to the edge of the balcony. Her eyes widened in surprise, excitement and a slight hint of fear. There was a cornucopia of activity down stairs, creatures of all walks of life, different kinds of people, everything she had never seen. Slowly, she turned, her back to the men, and began to walk towards the stairs.

"What did you do to her?" Larry hissed quietly as they watched her descend the staircase from their spot.

"I had to make her remember... you wouldn't understand..." Ahkmenrah mumbled, his eyes trained on her.

Her hand touched the marble stair rail, her eyes still glancing from one new thing to another. She was amerced in the most amazing thing she had ever seen, until something touched her shoulder.

The young woman shot around to see a large man with a few more his size behind him, weapons in hand. She didn't like being touched by strange men. Before the large bearded man could say anything, her fist shot out and landed on his face. Strangely, she thought it had sunk in more then flesh, but she shook it off. He didn't like being hit. As Attila's face slowly turned back to her, he let out a loud yell. The men behind him threw their fists into the air, weapons in hand, crying out as well. She eyed the group before turning to run.

"Dammit, not again." Larry said, running towards the stairs as she disappeared into a hallway, the Huns close behind. "They're gonna hurt her this time. Jesus..."

"It's not her you should worry about." Ahk replied as they skipped two steps at a time to get downstairs.

Larry didn't know what to make of it but decided there was no time to question him, not yet at least. The two ran as fast as they could, skidding to a halt just in time to see something they had never though possible.

Some how, the young woman had gotten some kind of weapon. She was waving it around, twirling it effortlessly around her body, waiting for someone to attack. As one of the Huns came forward, the young woman didn't hesitate to shove the weapon deep into his chest. The wax figured looked down at the wound and back at the young woman, just as surprised as she was when she ripped it out. The two of them cocked their heads to the side, examining the hole.

"Mayati!"

The sudden sound of her name made the young woman look up. Her face lit up as she smiled at the only thing she recognized. Dropping the weapon, she ran full speed for the young man, leaping effortlessly into his arms.

Ahkmenrah hugged her tightly, his eyes watering from the sweet sent of the woman that was always his. He felt complete, and hopefully, Jasmine would forgive him.

Slowly, the two of them pulled away, their mouths meeting instantly. There was no holding back any longer. She was finally here.

"Eh-hem..."

The sound brought the young Pharaoh back to reality. Reluctantly, he pulled apart from her, letting her slide down and touch the floor. She glanced over at Larry before returning to her King.

"Who is this?" she asked. His ears rang gloriously at the sound of her speaking Egyptian once again.

"That is Larry Daley, he is the night guard." he replied in English.

She cocked her head to the side. How did she just understand that? She opened her mouth to speak again, but what came out didn't sound like her.

"Where am I?"

"The National History Museum in New York City." he declared almost proudly.

She eyed him, her head cocked to the side, eyebrow raised.

"What's New York?"

Ahkmenrah sighed. He had forgotten there was no way she would know the same things he did. He had woken up periodically through the ages, collecting and absorbing information as things changed. She, on the other hand, had remained in the isolating under world, unable to grow with things as they changed. She was so innocent.

"Perhaps we should have a talk." he said with a charming smile.

She felt her heart beat quicken. that smile always managed to get to her.

...

A few hours had passed as Ahkmenrah explained everything to her. She took it relatively well considering. The only thing he didn't want to fill her in on who she was, just in case.

She sat there, next to him on the floor of his tomb, her back against the wall. Mayati had a strange look on her face, one he didn't recognize. She still had so many questions to ask him. What had happened that night when she was taken? What happened to him afterward? Who was she in? But those thoughts left her mind quickly when she looked into his eyes. Those warm, reassuring brown eyes. Nothing mattered anymore, she was with him again.

Slowly, she stood, waiting for him to do the same. When he was finally standing in front of her, the young woman leaped into his arms once more, her legs wrapping around his waist. Her lips connected with his, and everything else disappeared. There was no holding back now.

Ahkmenrah had been waiting to have _her_ in his arms since the first dream he had. She was his, fully and completely. His tongue delved into her mouth, electing a moan from her. His hands clamped down on her thighs, squeezing them tightly as he slammed her back into the obelisk behind her. She gasped. He pulled backed just enough to tell whether or not she was hurt, only to see her smiling back. It was all he needed.

As he dipped back in, he felt her tense. Pulling back once more, Ahkmenrah noticed her holding her head, her eyes clamped shut.

"Are you alright Mayati?" he asked, letting her glide down his body to stand on her own.

"My head... It feels as though it's being ripped in two..."

He watched her intently for a moment until she had released her pained expression. Mayati blinked multiple times, staring off into the distance to try and steady her head. Slowly, she looked up to him, smiling nervously.

"I'm fine."

He wasn't convinced. The young Pharaoh's hands came to either side of her head, tilting it forward enough to kiss her forehead. He couldn't help but pity her, feeling this was his fault. He had let his emotions run rampant and now she may be suffering for it.

Finally, he pulled back from her, feeling himself grow tired. It must be almost sunrise. That was another thing that hadn't crossed his mind in his impulsive action. What was going to happen to her in the morning? She wasn't dead like him, so he doubted she'd sleep. Nor was she a model, figurine, or statue, she was a living person. He had put her back into the body she belonged in, nothing more.

The pair made their way to his tomb. She watched curiously as he stepped inside, laying down gently. Mayati smiled, walking to his side and touching his face lightly. She hadn't remembered the last time she had gotten to touch him. His soft skin felt warm under her touch. She leaned in and kissed him lovingly on the lips.

After a moment, the young woman pulled back. Her stomach turned at the soght before her. She was leaning over kissing a dust, dried, rotted corpse. He was not as pretty during the day... What the hell was she doing in the Egyptian exhibit? She took a step back and noticed something. Where the hell were her shoes?


	23. Chapter 23

**I just want to thank all you guys for all of your comments and messages. I NEVER thought I would ever get this many reviews ever. I LOVE YOU GUYS! YOU'RE AWESOME! lol**

**Ch. 23: Telling the Truth**

The past week had been nothing but a blur. Every time the sun had set, she would manage to find herself in the museum, standing next to Ahkmenrah's tomb, staring down at his mummified body. Every time she tried to ask Larry about it, he shook his head. He wasn't any help. When she tried to stay after to ask Ahkmenrah why she couldn't remember anything, she'd black out. The next best thing, was to ask Rebbecca. The woman was Jasmine's last hope.

Thankfully, when Jasmine had returned to the museum after working on the soldiers, Rebbecca had agreed. Although she was giving Jasmine strange looks, the young Egyptologist felt better at ease then she had before.

Ever since she had begun working at this place, everything has either been going wrong, or she just wasn't remembering it. She started out by loosing a single night, now she was loosing weeks. Aside from that, she was having crippling headaches and seeing things. This morning, when she looked in the mirror, she saw a girl looking back at her. When she had opened the door to get her clothes out of her closet, she had a flash of a room that wasn't there. Something was going on, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it.

The young woman nervously made her way up the steps to the museum, forcing one foot up a step after the other. Sge eyed the doors skeptically, hoping there would be someway to find out what was going on. She wanted to know, she had to know. This was her body and her mind, and someone or something was trying to take it from her.

"Hey... Jazz..." Larry exclaimed with a false sense of joy. "What are uh... what are you doing here? Again?"

The night guard had watched, night after night, as Ahkmenrah reaped the fruits of his labors. He was enjoying Mayati so much, Larry doubted he remembered what he was doing to Jasmine. All these nights of being awake, and days of working, Jasmine was beginning to look tired. She had bags under her eyes, she was loosing weight, and the way she was acting, he doubted she noticed it.

"Getting some damn answers." she snapped, walking pass him.

That was another side effect, she was getting kind of mean. Lack of sleep was not a pretty thing on her.

"Where's Rebbecca?"

"In the back..." he replied, carefully choosing his words so she wouldn't explode.

The usually kind young woman disappeared into the back rooms without so much as a second glance. He was a little relieved about her leaving but he had been a little conflicted about this entire situation. Tonight was the night. If Ahk didn't tell Jasmine... or _Mayati _rather, what was going on, he would.

"You going to stay the whole night?" Jasmine asked Rebbecca.

"I'll stay as long as you need me too." she replied with a smile.

Jasmine nodded. Now all they had to do was wait for what ever it was that seemed to happen every night.

...

The sun began to set and Larry, along with Rebbecca, couldn't keep their eyes off her. Jasmine glanced back and forth between the two of them, wondering what was so interesting until a cold feeling began to creep up her spine. She was scared. This was the same cold feeling that she had felt for the past few nights and she knew she was about to forget another night.

Rebbecca watched intently. Unlike Larry, this was the first time she was going to see what ever it was she was supposed to watch. Jasmine tensed in her chair, her eyes smiling over once more. Rebbecca couldn't help but let out a gasp at the sight. There was no color in Jasmine's eyes anymore. That bright green was gone. Nothing but white looked back at them. Like before, the color didn't return until she let out a loud gasp, breathing in a fresh breath as though she was being suffocated.

Once the color was back, and the museum had come to life once again, the young woman simply stared from one person to the other. She cocked an eyebrow, wondering why they were leaning in so close to her. She noticed Larry sigh and walk away like he always did, but this young woman, this brunette, wouldn't stop staring.

"Can I help you?" Mayati asked finally becoming uncomfortable.

"Your eyes were so weird. How ya feeling?"

"I'm fine. Would you mind taking a step back please. You're bothering me."

Rebbecca did as she was asked, still staring intently.

"I'm sorry, but why are you staring at me?"

"You told me to watch you and see if anything weird happened."

"I'm sure..." she replied, rolling her eyes.

Rebbecca scoffed. Did she really just get brushed off so rudely? The young woman knew Jasmine was getting a little snippy, but she hadn't done anything like that to her. How dare she. Here she was doing her friend a favor and that friend just rolled her eyes. Rebbecca looked at Larry who simply waved her over.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" Rebbecca whispered as _Jasmine_ walked off.

Larry didn't answer. The only way Rebbecca was going to realize what was really going on, was to show her.

"Jasmine." Larry called loudly.

The young woman didn't respond.

"Jasmine!" he yelled louder.

Rebbecca had no idea what was going on, a look that was more then obvious. One more demonstration.

"Mayat-Su-Namun." he called.

Instantly, the young woman turned to look at the two, waiting for what he needed.

"Nothing. Never mind."

"What the hell...."

"Ahk did it." Larry sighed. "He read something from the tablet and now..." he waved his hand at the Egyptologist, pointing to her as though she was exhibit 'A'.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know. Best I can figure, at night she's this, during the day she's Jazz. I guess it's another version of what goes on at night here. I mean think about it, she's alive, nothing in here is. Everything else is either fake or dead, so it kinda makes sense doesn't it?"

"Yeah but... now what do we do? I mean, have you seen the way Jasmine's been acting? She can't keep doing this. When was the last time she slept?"

"I don't know. I don't even think she has slept."

Rebbecca sighed heavily before speaking again.

"Does this... what's her name?"

"He calls her Mayati." he mumbled irritatedly.

"Does this _Mayati_ even know what's going on?"

"I don't think so, but if he doesn't tell her I will."

The young woman nodded her agreement, her face contorted angrily.

...

A couple of hours had passed and judging by the laughter that seemed to surround the pair, she was still unaware. Larry had enough. He couldn't believe that someone, who claimed to care about the young woman, was making her go through something like this. She was deteriorating quickly, and he didn't know how much she had left in her. His anger, finally at its peak, headed straight for the couple.

"May I help you Larry?" Mayati asked politely.

The young man had been staring directly at her as he stormed up.

"Not you, him."

The young Pharaoh's face went blank. What could he have done to make his friend so mad?

"Are you going to tell her what's going on?" Larry asked angrily.

"I'm sorry?"

"How she got here and what she's doing to Jazz. Are you going to tell her?"

"Ahkmenrah, what's going on?" Mayati asked concerned.

"Nothing is the matter with Jasmine. This is the way it has to be." Ahkmenrah replied, his eyes narrowing on the young man.

"How can you be this selfish? And how do you know? You don't see her everyday like I do. You don't see how much this is destroying her." he yelled.

Some of the displays had heard the commotion, coming closer and quieting down as the night guard yelled at the king.

Ahkmenrah had been glaring at Larry until he mentioned that he was destroying a perfectly innocent young woman. The King had been so overzealous in his attempt to relive his past life, that he wasn't thinking about what it was doing to Jasmine. After all, it was Jasmine who was rebuilding his tomb. It was her who had treated him so nicely and the one who had originally made him feel unique. What he was doing wasn't fair, not to Jasmine and not to Mayati. Mayat-Su-Namun had died centuries ago, and there was nothing he could do about that without hurting someone else.

"You..." he said, turning to the woman at his side. "You are in the body of a young woman who works here at the museum."

He had been holding her hand and as he spoke, Mayati snatched it from his grip quickly.

"What?" she hissed, standing quickly. "You have no idea what you are doing to this young woman do you?"

Ahkmenrah looked up into her eyes. He felt his heart drop at the shocked and angry glare she was giving him.

"When a spirit is forced into anothers body, it slowly takes over." she shook her head, not able to believe he would do something like this. He had changed so much... "You're killing her."

The words made his eyes open wide. He hadn't thought there would be any consequences to his actions, and he couldn't have been more wrong.


	24. Chapter 24

**(Short for a reason... don't kill me...)**

**Ch 24: ...**

She was infuriated at his stupidity, pacing angrily in the diorama room. It was the only room that appeared to be empty and she needed her solitude. How could he have been so stupid? He should have known better... Why did they leave him with the tablet? If Kahmenrah hadn't interfered, she and her mother would have taken it to Cairo and she wouldn't have another life on her conscience.

"Hey um... do you need anything?"

A meek voice from the doorway brought her from her thoughts. Mayati looked over to find the same two people that had been staring at her earlier tonight peering in. She smiled sweetly and let them enter. It wasn't their fault so she wasn't going to take her anger out on them.

"No, thank you." she answered politely.

"So... how ya feeling?" Larry asked.

"Conflicted. I don't want to die again, but I don't want this young woman..." she turned to them, waiting for a name.

"Jasmine." Rebbecca said, speaking up as she sat on a bench.

"But i don't want Jasmine to die..." she replied, still pacing.

"Isn't there like.. an 'undo' button?" Larry asked.

She eyed him curiously. 'Undo' button? What was that supposed to mean.

"You know, like... reverse it."

"No unfortunately. My soul will begin taking over her body, pushing through her memories until there's nothing left."

"Well can't you send your soul back?" Rebbecca asked, chiming in once again.

Her voice was a little higher then usual and she knew it. She was nervous and she couldn't hide it. So what? Her friend was dying, so she could be worried if she wanted to be.

"Not necessarily. It's more complicated then you think.... Souls are tricky business."

"Well, isn't Jazz the '_reincarnation_' of you?" Larry mumbled sarcastically, not much expecting an answer.

"It would appear so." she said with a smile. "It is strange to look into a mirror and see my face in a different time staring back."

"It's her face not yours." Rebbecca snapped.

"It was my face first." Mayati snapped back.

The two had nothing to say to that comment. In reality, it was. The body pacing before them technically did belong to the woman that was currently inhabiting it.

"I can't believe he did this..." Rebbecca finally muttered after a while of silence. "I thought he knew how to use the tablet. I mean, it's his isn't it?"

"Actually, it's mine." Mayati corrected, still pacing.

"What do you mean?"

"The women in my family made the tablet centuries ago and were charged with keeping it safe. It would be passed down, priestess to priestess and being as it was my mother's before I died and I'm the only one left, it belongs to me."

"Why would you make something like that?"

"The tablet is a culmination of all of the strongest Egyptian spells. It was better to keep them together then separate where anyone could get their hands on it."

"Lot of good that did."

"If it's yours... how did he get it?" Larry asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I was already gone by then."

Suddenly, for the first time since the others had entered the room, Mayati stopped. They watched her as she stared into nothingness, obviously thinking of something. After a few seconds, Mayati dropped her head. They weren't sure what the problem was but she looked scared... more then scared, terrified. It was highly unnerving. Before either of them could ask her anything, the young woman ran from the room.

_How does this woman run in these?_ Mayati thought to herself as she ran through the halls, her heels clicking against the marble loudly.

As she turned another corner, she stopped suddenly, Ahkmenrah standing quickly from his seat no more then twenty feet in front of her. He watched her, trying to think of something to say, but his mouth went dry. She watched him, her heart breaking that he had to do something so drastic only to see her again.

Slowly, she walked up to him, a faint smile on her face. Truly, it wasn't completely his fault. He had only done something without thinking. Honestly, it was a bit romantic. He was within arms reach and she couldn't stop herself. Her hand shot out and slapped him hard across the face.

His cheek burned as he looked to his right, unable to move for a moment. He knew he deserved it, so there was nothing he could say to her. Cautiously, he turned again, looking back into her eyes. She was crying.

Tears welled in the young woman's green eyes, breaking free every time she blinked. How could he have caused her so much pain? It wasn't what he meant to happen...

Their eyes locked, Ahkmenrah felt her hands come to his cheeks, cradling his face gently. She stepped forward. Without warning, she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. He froze in his spot. What was she doing? He didn't deserve this. He deserved to be slapped again, or punched, or yelled at, something angry not loving. He was thoroughly confused about what was happening to him.

She pulled away just as Larry and Rebbecca had entered the hallway. The two of them had smiled to one another when they had heard the slap. They knew she had run into him and he had finally gotten what he had deserved. But when they walked in, they saw her kissing him. The only thing that made them feel better, was the look on Ahkmenrah's face when she pulled away. He was just as shocked as they were.

"I know why you did it." she muttered in Egyptian, her forehead resting on his chin. "But I can't live like this."

His hands came up and rested on he shoulders, pulling her back just enough to see her face. He looked down at her, wiping the tears from her cheeks before opening his mouth to speak. Before he could say anything, her hand came up and pressed lightly against his lips, silencing him. She smiled sweetly before kissing him once more. This time, he let it happen, still confused, but letting her do whatever she felt necessary. Again, she pulled back, tears flowing from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry."

Before he could ask her anything, she twisted from his grip and ran. The trio watched her, expecting her to run down the stairs and out of the museum, but they were wrong. Fear became palpable when they saw her run down a hallway that led to no exhibit. When they heard a door close, they knew their fears were right. The roof. Quickly, they followed.

"What'd she say?" Larry asked as they took chase.

"Only that she was sorry..." he replied quietly.


	25. Chapter 25

**Ch. 25: Reflection**

They charged the door, trying to get to it before she did anything rash. When they bounded up the stairs to the door, they noticed her behind it doing something. With their combined force, the three of them plowed into the door with hopes of knocking it down. They didn't. Through the glass of the door, Larry and Ahkmenrah noticed a block of wood pinned up under the door knob.

Mayati smiled sweetly to the frightened young Pharaoh, her hand lightly touching the glass. Her eyes were red, her cheeks glistening and her heart broken. She couldn't remain mad at the young man, it wasn't his fault. As she looked at the people looking back at her, she could tell they really cared about the young woman she was inhabiting. They couldn't interrupt her though, this had to happen.

Kicking the bottom of the board, Mayati ensured it was firmly planted into the roof and under the door knob. They were barricaded in and no matter of key was going to let them out. The young woman kissed her finger tips and pressed them against the glass, her eyes still locked on Ahkmenrah. Again, she smiled sweetly to him and mouthed something he had never wanted to hear.

_Good-bye_.

"No!" he yelled, muffled through the door. "Mayati don't!"

It was too late. She turned and walked out of their view.

Mayati walked to the edge of the roof, still crying as she looked down at the wondrous city beneath her. This was the only thing she knew she could do in order to save the young woman she would never meet. The two of them were the same. Jasmine was the 'newer' version of Mayati, but everything about this situation was wrong.

As she stared out into the world, the young woman began to mutter a few words. She had to expel her control over this body, loose her conscious mind. Mayati was going to disappear forever just for Jasmine to survive. Because the two of them were the same, the memories might still remain, flashes of the past. Maybe, Jasmine would get a chance to remember who she was, but there was no guarantee. The only thing she could think to do was bury herself, deep inside the young woman forever.

Her words started quietly but quickly grew louder the longer she spoke. Her hands raised to the skies as she spoke, her body growing cold. The rain that had been threatening to fall all night broke free from the clouds, spilling down and flooding everything in thick sheets. There was no turning back.

"We have to get out there." Ahkmenrah said as they pushed against the door again.

"No kidding... You think Columbus could take this down? What's he made of?" Larry asked.

"Brass I think. Ya know what, I bet he could." Rebbecca replied, turning and running down the steps to get the statue.

They waited for a few moments, still trying to knock the door down when they heard the familiar clanging sound of Columbus's feet. The two men moved to the side, and with one strong kick, the explorer had the door open.

"Thanks man." Larry told him as they walked through the door, splintered wood everywhere. "Jasmine...or Mayati...or... Who ever the hells up here!"

No response.

The group of three began a frantic search for the young woman, fanning out everywhere to try and find her. The rain was cold, stinging every inch of bare skin, blinding them completely. They ducked under AC units, behind the duct work, anywhere they could to find any sign of her.

Ahkmenrah's breath caught in his throat as he rounded a corner. Laying on the gravel roof was the young woman. Water was drenching him, making his robes heavy as he ran to her side. He knelt low, slowly turning her onto her back. Lightly he touched her face, trying his best to wake her, but she didn't move.

Larry and Rebbecca finally came to his side, staring down at the young woman in the Pharaoh's arms. The young man looked up at the couple, fear in his eyes as he picked her up.

"We should go inside."

The two nodded and waited for him to walk in front of them, the young woman laying limply in his arms.

...

It had been an hour and she still hadn't woken up. They didn't know what to do or even call her for that matter. Larry had pushed Ahk to the side, it wasn't intentional, but he wanted to get a better look at his friend. His hand came to her face and lightly touched her cheek. He tapped her a few times, trying to see if she would respond. Nothing.

"Hey Rebbecca," he finally said. "You think you could take her home?"

"Yeah..." she replied. "Yeah, I can do that..."

The Pharaoh wanted to protest their decision, but he had no right. It didn't matter how much he wanted to be there when she woke up, he had to think about what was best for her... for once.

Slowly, Larry lifted the young woman into his arms while Rebbecca called a cab. Thankfully, it didn't take long for it to get there. Larry loaded her into the cab while Ahk watched from inside the museum. The night guard spouted some story about her being drunk, which the cabby apparently believed. He said goodbye to his friends and watched as the two drove off.

When he turned, the young man couldn't help but glare at the man inside the building. He didn't mean to do it, it just happened. He was furious with him. How could he have done something so reckless? Does Jasmine not matter to him at all? He more or less just tried to kill her... Larry couldn't help but think about what Ahk's kingdom must have been like if he made decisions like this all the time.

"Larry I..." he began.

The man didn't want to hear it. He simply continued to walk pass the Pharaoh, his hand up to keep him from talking. There was too much going on right now, and he had no idea how he was supposed to handle it. All he knew was he didn't want any more excuses from anyone.

"Lawrence, perhaps you should talk to him." Teddy said as he road up to the young man. "He looks rather down."

"And what do you expect me to say?" Larry snapped.

"What ever you think is necessary." he replied calmly before leaving.

It was then Larry looked pass all of the commotion of the night to see the young King walking off into the distance. His shoulders were slumped forward and it didn't take a rocket scientist to see that he felt bad about what he had done. But he wasn't ready to talk to him yet. Larry knew that if he got any closer to the King, he wouldn't be able to control himself and he didn't want to say something he was going to regret. It was best to avoid him for now.

...

In his chamber, Ahkmenrah stared into nothingness, his mind wandering. The images of Jasmine when he had forced this upon her coursed through his head. The images of Mayati crying before saying goodbye were mixed in as well. In one fail swoop, he had managed to destroy two women's lives and his own. His friends hated him almost as much as he hated himself and he couldn't blame them.

Jasmine had been nothing but kind to him. Asking his opinion on what she should do with his tomb, talking to him like a person, and making him _feel_ again. Until she had come around, Ahkmenrah felt as though he had been stuck in perpetual darkness. Only until he heard her voice, saw her face, touched her skin, did he feel like someone had finally shined the light on him. Traveling through the ages with nothing but yourself to keep you company can get lonely fast, but then she showed up. True, when he first say Jasmine, he felt something for her. When he had gotten his memories back, he forced the same on her without so much as a second thought. Mayati died before he could save her and he had felt so guilty about it that he thought bringing her back was the only choice. He hadn't thought his plan all the way through and was suffering for it.

If Mayati was the one who woke up, he would have to face her at some point. He would have to try and explain to her how much he had missed her, how much guilt he felt for not protecting her. Only after that would he be able to clear his conscience.

If Jasmine woke up, the likelihood of him seeing her again would be slim. He knew as well as anybody, she may never want to see him again. If he got the chance, he would explain to her why he had done what he had done. Try to explain to her how much he wanted her to remember who she really was, what they had, and what they could have. Whether she listened of believed him or not would be entirely up to her.

Then there was the chance she didn't wake up. He didn't want to think about it, but there was always that posibility. He had no idea what Mayati had done while she was by herself, and he might never know. Perhaps that was her plan, to silently let him torture himself about the outcome. To let him sleep thinking she could be dead to teach him a leason... He didn't want to loose her, not again. The news of her death had nearly killed him the first time. He didn't want to loose her twice in a lifetime, but it didn't matter. Everything was out of his control. Ahkmenrah only prayed Larry would tell him when something happened.


	26. Chapter 26

**~I just want to say thank you to you guys again for all the comments. I love that you guys like the story so much, and I know this one's short again but there's gonna be A LOT happening in the next few chapters. Enjoy!~**

**Ch. 26:**

She blinked her eyes, trying her best to steady her head. She sat up slowly, her hand coming to her head. What happened? Looking around, the young woman didn't recognize anything. She remembered being in the museum and now... She was was in someone's home, but she didn't know who's. The young woman's eyes narrowed as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Her feet were bare as they hit the carpeted floor. Where the hell was she?

Cautiously, she began to stand, careful not to make any noise. she didn't know where she was and she sure as hell wasn't about to let anyone that might be there know she was awake. Looking to her left, she noticed a window. She was in a high building judging by the angle of the landscape. There were pictures of everywhere but not one of them she recognized. When she had begun to walk into the other room, she noticed something. Her clothing was completely different. She had no idea what she was wearing or how it had gotten on to her body.

When she turned the corner, she was abruptly hit by another person. The two collided into one another, the person who hit her toppling to the ground while the young woman found her balance before hand. She knelt low, ready to attack if need be, when the person in front of her began to move. she waited, watching closely as the intruder sat up, fixing her clothing before noticing her.

"Hey, you're awake."

It Rebbecca.

"How do you feel?"

"Confused." she replied as she stood.

"Okay..." Rebbecca said, her eyes narrowing as she tried to figure out which young woman was standing in front of her.

"May I help you?"

"Uh... I'm not quite sure how to ask this so... who are you?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"Just curious." Rebbecca shrugged. "So... who are you?"

"I just saw you yesterday. Did you already forget my name?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Where am I anyway?"

Rebbecca's heart sank.

"Mayati..." she muttered.

"Who the hell is this Mayati chick everyone keeps talking about?"

"Jazz?" she asked happier.

The young woman nodded slowly, staring at Rebbecca with confusion. Did she seriously forget her name? Jasmine laughed slightly at the young woman and continued to explore the apartment.

"So where am I exactly?"

"Oh. You're at my place. I was going to take you home, but I couldn't find your keys and I didn't remember exactly where you lived... plus, I didn't want to leave you by yourself."

The concern in her friend's voice made Jasmine turned to face her.

"Why wouldn't you want to leave me alone?"

"Well, you weren't in very good shape last night so..."

"What happened?"

Rebbecca stared at her for a moment. she didn't want to be the one to tell her, and she wasn't exactly sure what Jasmine even remembered, so there wasn't any need to tell her anything she doesn't really remember.

"What uh... what do you remember from last night?"

"Well," Jasmine began before thinking hard. "I don't remember a sodding thing."

"Really?" she asked surprised, her voice higher then she meant for it to be. "Nothing?"

Jasmine shook her head. The young brunette couldn't believe that a person could go through all that and not have any memory of it at all.

"That's why i asked you to come. I have managed to loose the past two weeks. What happened."

"Uh... well... It's kind of hard to say... um..."

"Come on... you can do it." Jasmine joked.

"I don't quite know the whole thing but apparently, at night, you'd kind of turn into that Mayati girl."

Rebbecca stared at her, wincing at her expected reaction, but something else happened. Jasmine began laughing. It wasn't even a normal laugh either, she was hysterically laughing as though Rebbecca had just told her the funniest joke in the world.

"You're telling me I have split personalities? Bloody brilliant." she laughed, taking a seat on a nearby chair. "Seriously, what happened."

"That is what happened." she said slowly, trying to comprehend what was going on.

"Oh come off it." she laughed. "Are you sure I didn't just go to sleep or something?"

"i'm serious. You turned into that other chick at night." she told her, getting frustrated.

"Yeah, okay." she laughed.

"Look, Ahkmenrah read from the tablet and made that other woman's soul take over your body. Then, every night, you would turn into her."

The laughter began to slowly fade the longer Jasmine stared at her friend. She was being serious. There wasn't the slightest hint of a lie as Rebbecca had told her that story. That meant that this was all his fault. Everything that had been going wrong, everything that she was feeling was all Ahkmenrah's fault. She had been exhausted, mean, delirious, and unable to account for a decent chunk of time and it was all because of him.

Anger took hold. She stood quickly from her seat and started pacing. She was furious, and so many questions were surging through her brain she was having little success trying to sort them. All she really knew for a fact was she was going to kill him. Without so much as a word to Rebbecca about what she was doing or where she was going, Jasmine stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Being angry made it much easier for her to forget she had just walked nearly two miles to the museum in a pair of shoes that were one size too small. She didn't care. The young woman just wanted to find out exactly what was going on and there was nothing that was going to stop her. She stormed pass the people in the lobby, weaved throughh the tours and strays walking the halls, and finally made it to the exhibit. No one was in there.

Still seeing nothing but rage, Jasmine nearly sprinted to Ahkmenrah's tomb. Her fingers shook as she undid the latches, tossing the wooden lid effortlessly off the sarcophagus. Before she could stop herself, her hand shot out and slapped him hard across the cheek. She looked down at the mummified body in the tomb and slapped it once more for good measure. He may be sleeping for now, but she was making sure he was going to feel this when he woke up. As she moved to put the lid back on before anyone showed up, she couldn't help herself. Her hand went back, high above her head and came down once more. Dust flew from the sharp contact.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself when she heard something in the distance.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Glancing up, she saw McPhee staring back at her.

"Can I help you?" she asked rudely.

"Did you just... slap the mummy?" he asked, his voice more high pitched then usual.

She cocked her head to the side as she put the lid back on.

"Answer me." he said making his way closer to her. "Did I just see you slap the mummy thingy?"

"You're losing your mind." she replied, walking pass him without so much as a backward glance.

She didn't care what the little man had to say at the moment. She didn't care about anything in fact. Her eyes in fact burned as she left the museum, her lungs hurting as she started to gasp for air. The young woman collapsed onto her knees just outside the museum, her head in her hands. She sobbed, the sounds muffled in her hands. She was so angry, she was shaking, and completely out of ideas.


	27. Chapter 27

**~Okay... I tried the lisp thing... not quite sure how it went. Let me know what you think. And if any of you guys know how to write one, show me. lol. Enjoy!**

**Ch. 27: Consequences  
**

He woke that night with a sharp pain in his jaw. As he slowly rose from his sarcophagus, he felt his headache worse then it ever had before. He vaguely remembered what had happened, but he had a good idea. As he exited the coffin and looked down into the marble dust on the ground, he say foot prints, much smaller then those of the workers that have been coming in and out of the exhibit. She was here.

While he had been sleeping, Ahkmenrah had felt that familiar pulsing sensation whenever she was near him. His dreams became vivid as he waited for her to speak, to say anything that would let him know which woman had woken up, but there was nothing. He wasn't surprised. But, she had hit him, rather hard. He wondered how mad he must have made the young woman for her to hit a mummified King.

While he slept, he always managed to think of her. He thought of what he and Mayati had, what he and Jasmine had and could have had, and what he had done. Mayati was smart, creative, strong, agile, and a powerful priestess. Jasmine was also smart, creative, beautiful, and wonderful person. Each of them had their differences, but they were still so much a like. He knwe now that he had no right to force something like this on the unsuspecting young woman. He had briefly thought about asking her permission to place Mayati's soul inside her but he wanted her to remember so badly that he didn't care at the moment. He just wanted her to feel the same way he felt. Looking back, maybe she already did.

She had spent so much time with him at night. The two of them talked about everything. the way she smiled at him made his insides melt, and the way she kissed him... He had been developing feelings for the young woman, despite the obvious complications. He didn't care that he was more then three thousand years older then her, nor did he care that he would only get to spend nights with her for as long as she lived, and neither did she. But he had wanted more.

Perhaps that's what had forced him to make his previous decision? He had been so enthralled by the memories of the young woman, that he had forgotten about what he already had. When the images flooded his brain, and he knew for a fact that she was the young Mayat-Su-Namun, he felt obligated to apologize to her. It was his fault that she had died. It was his fault that she had died alone... She had risked everything to be with him. She had even tried to break it off, knowing something bad was going to happen, and he ignored her. the last time he saw her, Mayati was begging for his help and he didn't do anything. He still remembered walking in on his brother.

He had stormed through the doors with a handful of guards behind him to find his brother alone, wiping off one of his knives. The large man turned to face his little brother with a smile on his face.

"Ah, baby brother. What can I do for you?" he asked slyly.

"Where is she?" he asked, motioning for the soldiers to fan out.

He watched as the men scattered, searching for any sign of the young woman. His own eyes darted around from side to side quickly as he stepped up to his brother. Kahmenrah was still smiling wide as his little brother stopped only a few inches from her face.

"I don't know what you mean."

Ahkmenrah couldn't control his anger. His hands shot out and gripped the other man's collar tightly in his hands.

"I asked you where she was." he hissed.

"Oh calm down." he sighed, brushing his brother's hands free. "She'th taken care of. And now you can marry your Queen and live happily ever after and blah, blah, blah..."

"That's none of your concern. I want to know where she is."

"Give me the throne."

The wicked flicker in the man's eyes bothered Ahkmenrah more then he ever thought possible. He took a step back. Was his brother really trying to do this? He was going to trade the crown for Mayati?

the young man's mind raced. He was being given a chance, a rare chance for happiness. He could either run away and be with the woman of his dreams, away from obligation, away from his horrible wife to be, or he could say goodbye to her forever in order to keep his brother from taking rule. His brother was an evil man and wouldn't hesitate to declare war on any one, or even murder his own people in order to gain more. But Ahkmenrah could leave, leave everything behind and hopefully out run his brother's hand. He couldn't help but think of what the cost might be.

If he left and Kahmenrah took control, hundreds of people could die. If he didn't, and left her alone with him, she would most likely perish. The poor man had no idea what he was going to do...

"No." he finally said.

"Beg pardon?"

"No. I will not give you the throne."

"Ah." his face lit up as though he had been given something better. "Stho, you are going to let her die? Hmmm."

"You won't touch her."

"Oh really? Sth'ays who?"

"Me. Guards, take him."

The man's face fell as the soldiers came to his side, grabbing him tightly.

"I'll give you one last chance to tell me where she is."

"Oh I don't think stho." he replied with a smile.

The Pharaoh waved his hand and watched as the guards removed his brother from the room, not caring to look back. He felt fear grip him, hoping she was safe.

He never found her after that. In his heart, he knew his brother had gotten a hold of her and there was nothing he could do. He had promised to keep her safe, promised nothing would happen to her, and he was wrong.

There was so much for him to apologize for, he had no idea where to begin. That was why he had brought her back. It wasn't to replace Jasmine, it was to make amends for what he had done. His heart had broken right after her disappearance and he never thought he was going to get the chance to see her again.

But he had risked someone he had begun to care about currently. Jasmine was everything he wanted in a woman and he had ruined it. There was no way around it.

The young man made his way into the lobby against his better judgement. It seemed as though nothing had changed. Everyone and everything was still going about their own business and Larry was at his same perch. Ahkmenrah felt his stomach turn as he made his way closer.

"Hey." Larry replied nonchalantly.

"Larry I just..."

Before he could finish, Larry held up his hand once more to silence him. Ahkmenrah suddenly felt like this was all pointless.

"Look," he said turning to face his friend. "It's not me you've got to apologize for. I don't know exactly _why_ you did it, but I've known you for a while now and I know the way things happened probably weren't what you were planning on. But, it's not me you have to apologize to."

"I know. If I could find her, I would be more then willing to apologize if given the chance."

"Well," Larry said, smacking his hand down on the Pharaoh's shoulder. "You're gonna get your chance tonight."

Ahkmenrah didn't understand. When Larry pointed to the lobby floor, the young King turned to see what he was pointing to. There standing amidst all of the chaos, was the young woman. His heart leapt until he noticed the more then irritated look on her face.

"It seems Jasmine has a bone to pick with you." Larry told him. "She wants me to tell you she's giving you until the count of...five?" he yelled down at her, receiving a nod as she held up her hand. "Yeah, five, to run."

The King looked from one to the other for a moment before seeing her fingers slowly fold down. She was giving him a time limit, or a running head start. the only problem was, he was not going to shirk his responsibilities. He was going to stand up and take what he had coming to him.

"Dude, if I were you... I would run." Larry finally told him. "You're down to three."

"He's right. Run!" Jasmine told him.

At the loud sound of her voice, the young Pharaoh ran off into the hall behind him, hoping the fact that she had to run up the stairs would slow her down. He was wrong. Apparently, the young woman had retained some of Mayati's agility. With almost no effort, Jasmine seized an opportunity. Rexy had gone walking by and with a quick move, Jasmine had grabbed hold of him, using his as a cattapolt to fling her up to the second floor. Larry stared at her shocked as she ran pass him without a glance.


	28. Chapter 28

**Ch.28:**

Jasmine bounded effortlessly through the halls. She had planned on this and wasn't wearing the standard heels she wore to the museum, instead she wore tennis shoes. Each corner she rounded, she would see a glimpse of a gold cloak turning another. It was much easier to follow him then he thought. As she continued her pursuit, she passed a few Native American Indians. Before any of them had noticed, the young woman had managed to swipe a spear before continuing on.

When she turned another corner, the young woman stopped. Ahkmenrah had wound up in a dead end hallway, now where to escape. She began to walk up to him, weapon in hand as she advanced. He looked around for anywhere to duck out, but wasn't having any luck. His eyes shot to her. He was scared, something she had expected to see, but it didn't matter, not right now.

"I'm sorry." he blurted out.

She didn't reply, only continued to walk down the long hall.

"I never meant for any of this to happen." he said, the words coming out almost too fast for him to keep up. "I loved her and when I saw you I thought I could make you remember. I never thought you would get lost inside. I didn't know what to do."

Again, she remained silent. Her hand began to rise, the sharp end of the spear pointed directly at him, her face cold. He nodded, knowing she was determined to do what ever she had planned. Resigning to his fate, he closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"I just wanted a second chance to apologize to her, and now to you. I'm sorry."

She launched the spear at him with a loud heave. He froze for a moment, waiting for an impact that never came. Opening his eyes slowly, the young man saw her standing a few feet in front of him, her face sad and the large weapon sticking out of the wall next to his head.

"You will never know what you put me through." she said quietly, her voice wavering as though she was on the verge of crying. "You made me think I had lost my mind. Do you know how frightening it is to question your sanity?"

"Yes." he muttered.

"How?" she demanded. "How could you possibly know what this feels like?"

"When I lost you the first time... I thought I would go insane." he said, taking a few daring steps closer to her. She backed away. "Acineth knew how I felt about you and when you never came back I... she was furious. That was the last thing I remember."

She eyed him, still not wanting to speak.

"The next thing I knew, I awoke within my sarcophagus. I spent the last few dozen centuries thinking about how I had let you down and when I saw you again... I thought I could make it up to you."

"I'm not Mayati!" she snapped, tears flowing from her eyes. "My name is Jasmine. I am Jasmine Kelley, not Mayat-Su-Namun. I am not an Egyptian priestess, I am an Egyptologist dammit."

"I know."

"No you don't. You tried to turn me into her!" she yelled. "I thought I had feelings for you and you did this."

He wanted to say something but there were no words to express how bad he felt about doing this to her. There was nothing he could do. Trying to reassure her again, he stepped forward. This time, the young woman hadn't moved. Taking his chance, Ahkmenrah's arm shot out and grabbed her, pulling her tightly into a hug. She didn't fight against him, nor did she say anything to protest, she simply fell into him like before.

He held her tightly, listening to her cry into his shoulder. In an instant, her knees gave out and the two of them toppled gently to the marble floor. Still he held her.

She was so angry with him. She wanted to hrut him again, to hit him or do something painful to him, but she couldn't. Her body was weak from an overload of crying and the anger running through her. In her heart, she knew why he had done what he had done. She knew he didn't intend for any of this to happen, but she wanted so much to stay angry.

As he held her, she felt herself calm. She felt everything disappear into nothing, and she could finally breathe. Slowly, she pulled back to look him in the eyes. His hand came to her face and wiped the tears from her cheeks. It was then she noticed his own eyes were red. He was crying, or at least close to it. There the two sat, staring at one another until the world around them disappeared.

Her green eyes were brighter then usual, something that was both beautiful and sad to him. He had come to notice her eyes only turned this shade when she cried, something he had made her do more then he wished. He had wanted to be the one to keep her from being sad, not the one causing it. But before he could rationalize the thought running through his head, he acted.

Without hesitation, the young man leaned down and kissed Jasmine once more. He felt desperate to make her feel the way he felt. He wanted her to know how sorry he was and this was the only thing he could think to do.

Jasmine felt him desperately clamer to touch her. His lips fell to hers, crushing them completely. His hand came to her face and held her tightly. The young woman had begun to feel uncomfortable with how much he seemed to be pushing himself on her. He plunged his tongue into her mouth without so much as a thought about her and this was enough.

Jasmine pulled back quickly. Her eyes glared at him. How dare he think he could do something like this and a kiss would make everything alright. She had trusted him and he betrayed her all to get his little girlfriend back. She quickly jumped up from the Pharaoh's lap, taking a few quick steps back. She could tell he was confused.

"Don't think that makes everything better." she told him sternly.

"What ever you wish me to do..." he said standing slowly, his voice calm. "I will do to prove to you I care about you."

"I don't know." she answered truthfully. "I truly don't know. I can't trust you any longer."

He nodded, his head falling slightly.

"I'm not saying there isn't a chance..."

With those words, his head perked up quickly.

"But I need some time to myself. I don't know how often I'll come to visit."

"I understand."

"I'm sorry. It's the best I can do." she told him kindly as she turned her back to him.

"Correct me if I'm wrong..." he said loudly, causing her to turn again. "But you leave in three weeks, correct?"

She nodded slowly, not much wanting to go into detail. Without so much as another word, the young woman turned and left for the night.

As she walked towards the lobby, she ran into Larry again. It took her less time to force a smile then she thought. Thankfully, once he grinned widely to her, the forced smile became real. It was the first real smile she had in a long time. He was such a good person.

"How'd it go? Is there still a Pharaoh to put in the tomb?"

"Yes." she smiled. "He's fine. No worse for the wear I guess."

"You...you alright?"

"I suppose. I told him I'm not going to be around much for a while."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I honestly don't know." she sighed, leaning forward over the railing.

"Awe come on." he teased, nudging her playfully with his shoulder. "You know you like him."

"I'm afraid it's a bit more then that." she said with a faint smile.

"Oh wow. Really?"

"Yeah." she smiled before standing up straight again. "Really. But that's why I can't hag around very much any longer. I need to get my head straight."

"Yeah, I bet. Well, I'll see you soon?"

"Sure. You will."


	29. Chapter 29

**Ch. 29: A New Visitor**

it had been a few days since she had seen Ahkmenrah. Well, maybe it was more along the lines of a week and a half... give or take. She was too conflicted to talk to him right now. Every time she would go to the exhibit to check on the progress, she would go to his side and try to think of something but she couldn't. What was she suppose to say? She had no idea. She had never really given him a chance to speak either.

In truth, she wanted to see him again. she wanted to be near him, to touch him, but she couldn't bring herself to visit at night. She wasn't ready for a face to face talk. Besides, she had managed to stay busy for the time.

It was on one such day of checking the exhibit that a very angry, and irritated McPhee came to find her. He walked into the display in a huff which only seemed to get worse by the amount of debris that was everywhere. It didn't bother her though. The men where coming to clean up and her their things, so it didn't matter what was laying on the ground. McPhee couldn't form a coherent sentence. Instead, he motioned for her to follow, something she reluctantly did.

"What is this?" Dr. McPhee asked rudely.

Jasmine stared at him questioningly before she noticed a large wooden crate on the loading dock floor. It was hard to miss. Some one had sent her a six foot by four foot wide, and three foot tall crate without her knowledge.

On the cabinet behind her was a crowbar, a favorite tool for things like this. As she pried the edges up, she thought of what could be inside. She wasn't supposed to receive the wax soldiers for another two days. Maybe this was the first one that was completed? Her heart beat quickened at the excitement of finally getting to see her finished figures.

"Well?" he asked impatiently as she popped the final corner.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps my soldiers."

"Well just get it out of here." he said before turning.

"Wait..."

McPhee sighed loudly and stopped in his steps. He returned his attention to the young woman kneeling by the crate. Jasmine stared at its contents, pushing the packing peanuts out of the way for a better look.

"I didn't order this."

McPhee sighed heavily once more, obviously trying to illustrate how irritated he was as he walked over to her. He looked down at the contents, not seeing any problem as she stood.

"What? He's Egyptian. What's it matter? just put him in the display with the others."

"But I didn't order him." she snapped. "Look at him, he's not even a soldier."

The irritated man eyed her, shrugging his indifference. Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"Look here," she began, pushing more of the peanuts out of the way. "The green head dress with Horus isn't common. His clothing is gilded with gold embellishments, ornate jewelry... the man is obviously royalty."

"Then who is he supposed to be?"

"I don't know." she sighed. "But he's not mine."

Jasmine knelt back down over the body, trying to figure out who he could have been. His dark glass eyes seemed hallow, much more then the other in the museum. His face was frowning making him look incredibly mean. As she stared down at him, she felt a hot breath, as though someone was whispering something indecipherable in her ear. She immediately jumped back, nearly falling from the loading dock.

"What the hell..." she whispered to herself.

"Well?" McPhee said, ignoring her outburst. "We can have him returned in the morning."

"Morning?"

The figure was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable and she couldn't explain why, but what ever the reason, she couldn't have him stay over night.

"Why morning?"

"That was the last truck. It's too late to move it now." e replied, acting as though he was stating something ridiculously obvious.

"But..."

Before she could say anything to rebut him, he had already left her alone with the unnerving figure. Why was he bothering her so much? A normal person would brush it off as nothing, and simply avoid the figure. Jasmine unfortunately knew other wise. once the sun goes down, if the figure was close enough to the tablet, he would wake up. It was odd the inanimate object was so unnerving. It was like those creepy porcelain dolls that seemed to stare at you as you walked across the room. Not only was the figure creepy, but that hot breath whisper in her ear had chilled her blood.

Time had passed and she had no idea of how much. She was still so transfixed on the man in the box. Her concentration was broken however, when some one had called her name. Jasmine glanced up and saw Nick and Larry smiling at her from the bay doors.

"What are you doing out here?" Nick asked. "I thought you weren't staying tonight?"

"I got a new friend here. He looks familiar but... I don't know."

Larry eyed the box, making his way to her side and freaking out the moment he did. The poor man yelped as he stumbled back, unable to stop himself from falling off the same ledge Jasmine had. Both Nick and Jasmine winced in pain as the thud from Larry's contact sounded loudly. With a slight giggle, the two ran to his side to help him up.

"You recognize him too don't you?" Jasmine asked seriously as she helped Larry up.

"You know who that is?"

"I've seen him before... I know I have but..." she shrugged.

As though some unseen force had slaped her as hard as it could in the face, she knew. Images of this man from her dreams flooded her mind. It was a tidal wave of new information.

"His name is..." Larry began.

"Kahmunrah."

She spoke the name the same time he had, much to the man's surprise. Each of them shot a pained look at one another before clamering up the dock to get a better look.

"How'd he get here?" Larry asked nervously.

"I don't know. McPhee said it just showed up."

"No, I mean, how'd he get here? I pushed him into a swirling vortex thingy."

"It's wax Larry." she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh...yeah... Okay, well, we've got to get him out of here before the sun goes down."

"And put him where? This can't leave the museum."

"Why not?"

"He's museum property. If he gets damaged or anyone sees me with him, I could get arrested, or who knows what."

"So what do you suggest?"

She stared down at the sleeping figure, her mind racing with things to do. Jasmine frantically looked around for something, anything that could help. There, on the shelf behind Nick.

"Hand me that nail gun pet. Nick, can you help me with the lid?"

Nick quickly helped her lift the awkward panel over the crate. Larry frantically grabbed the nail gun and handed it to her. Without hesitating, Jasmine began to shoot multiple, three inch nails into the lid, not stopping until the gun made the familiar clicking sound of an empty chamber. Stepping back, the three of them finally breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"So, you're going to just leave him in there?" Nick asked, still staring at the box.

"We don't have a choice. He gets out of there and he'll probably go after the tablet again."

"It's the safest thing we can do..." Jasmine added before turning to Larry. "Do you think we should..."

"No. I don't want him to worry about it if this guy'll be out of here tomorrow. He is gonna be gone... right?"

"If I have to drive him myself."

With their minds more at ease, the young man grabbed a dolly and wheeled the box inside so he could lock the bay doors. He made sure Kahmunrah was somewhere out of sight so no one would be able to here him, or help him escape. with that done, the three of them made their way out of the loading dock and into the museum.

Jasmine had an appointment with Teresa to finish up some of the was why she wasn't able to stay tonight, or at least, that's what she told the others. But she knew the truth.

Her dreams had become more intense since her ordeal with Ahkmenrah and the tablet. They had changed from the same image of death she used to dream about to a much broader sense. She was now having dreams that seemed to resemble something more of a memory. She knew why. Larry had filled her in as best he could about what had happened, telling her about what Ahkmenrah had told him about Mayati. The best she could figure was the young woman was still in there some where and these dreams were her memories. For the most part, they were welcomed, but there were a few that were gut wrenching. That was how she recognized Kahmunrah.

There were a few encounters with him it seemed. He would randomly pop up in her dreams, usually trying to get Mayati to turn on his brother or become his bride. Honestly, Jasmine felt sick whenever she saw him, apparently it was the same feeling as the other young woman. Something about him didn't sit well with Jasmine and she knew why. Now being able to put a face with a name, she remembered that he was the one who had killed Mayati. He was the one who tore her away from her King and killed her just because he could. He did it just to hurt his younger brother. What kind of person does things like that? Someone made of pure evil. He had to leave the museum in the morning... there was no question about that.

Tonight's date was May 31st, the last day of the month. In less then two weeks, she would be leaving. The tomb had been moved, the glass case had been installed and the only thing she needed was the wax soldiers. The jackals had even been nice enough to move with a few kind words. They were much nicer then Larry had thought, at least to her. So, in a few days, the wax soldiers would arrive and be placed in the exhibit, along with trinkets in the case and she would be done.

She didn't want to leave, but she was. Too much went on in this museum without her control. Things were being done without her consent, people casting spells on her to suite they're own needs, literally. And despite how she has become emotionally involved with the people she worked with and had since met, she had to move on with her life.

But, for tonight, maybe she should stay. There was an exception to her rule of avoiding the museum at night sitting in the other room, and she didn't trust what might happen if she left. Besides, she could always _avoid_ Ahkmenrah... right?


	30. Chapter 30

**Ch. 30**

"May... Jasmine." Ahmenrak exclaimed happily, nearly forgetting himself as he walked up to the young woman.

She felt her stomach sink at the sight of him. Her heart raced and she wanted to run up to him and hug him tightly, kiss him and making all of the past few days disappear, but she couldn't. She wanted to forget what he had done to her, but she couldn't. She also wanted to tell him who was nailed in a coffin in the loading bay, but she couldn't. Whenever she was around him, there seemed to be so much she couldn't do. But still, there he was, smiling nervous as he walked closer to her. The best thing she could do was force her own uncomfortable smile.

"Ahkmenrah, hello."

"How are you feeling?" he asked concerned, walking to her side.

She noticed his hand come out for a brief moment to touch her shoulder only to pull it back after thinking other wise.

"I'm fine..." she stammered nervously. "Just fine. And you?"

"Good I suppose. I've been worried about you."

She felt as though the two of them had just broken up. That was the type of conversation she was in the middle of having. Everyone knows that conversation. The one where you aren't quite comfortable and you have to force pleasantries to pass the time despite the fact you know they don't really want to be there either. That was the feeling right now.

"Well, thank you but, I'm fine." she reiterated.

"Hey Jazz!" Nick called from Rexy's back. "You wanna go play some volleyball in the Viking display? A whole bunch of us are going."

_Oh thank God. _she thought to her self before speaking. "Yeah, of course."

Ahkmenrah wished he had said something more to her as he watched her jump onto the dinosaur's back with the young Nick. There was nothing he could do for the moment. He wasn't sure what he could do with enough preparation let alone this moment. So there he stood, watching her as she more then happily left with the boy.

...

It was dark, much darker then anything he had seen for a while. He tried to lift his arms only to have them slam into something less then a foot in front of him. He strained his eyes to find some hint of light, something anywhere, but there was nothing. The box was wide enough for him to get his hands up and try to push but it wouldn't budge. There must have been something laying on top of it.

In the distance, he heard music, people talking and all sorts of animals noises. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was being forced into a vortex by that damn night guard, Larry Daley. He had felt nothing after that. That must mean he was immortal!

_I knew I wasth half God!_ he declared happily to himself.

But now to get out... He pushed once more and there was nothing, only the creaking of the wood. That was it? That was all that was holding the great Kahmunrah? Wood! Pathetic.

He balled his fists and pounded them against the wood. It took linger then he had thought, but he managed to separate two of the boards, more then enough to see. He looked around. Where was he? In another storage facility? This may be easier then he thought.

As he peered around, grateful he had been left standing, he noticed a ledge in the distance, maybe ten feet from him. With one great heave, Kahmunrah thrust his body forward, taking the crate with him. With a loud thud, he hit the ground, face first.

_Sheesh..._

He groaned as he began to execute his plan. With another heave, be rolled the crate onto it's side. Slowly but surely, he was going to roll his way to the ledge and throw himself off.

...

"Did you hear something?" Larry asked Ahkmenrah.

"Hm? No, why?"

"I thought I just heard a loud crash or something from the loading dock." his back froze. _There's no way..._

...

"You okay Jazz?" Nick asked kindly.

"Yeah dear. I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, you just look a little down." he said with a smile.

He was a sweet kid, just like his father. She couldn't help but feel a little better.

"Hey, me, dad and Rebbecca got something for you." he said excitedly, running to get a box he had stashed behind a bench.

She laughed. Apparently he had planned on them coming in here. She watched as he grabbed a rather large box and placed it on her lap.

"What's this now?"

"Well, we wanted to get you something to kinda make you feel better and since you're leaving soon. We found these people to make you a costume like the ancient Egyptians wore so you can be one for Halloween or something... I don't know."

She smiled wide, her hand coming to his cheek for a moment before opening the box. Inside was a beautiful white gold breast plate, matching arm cuffs with a purple fabric hanging from it, a gorgeous skirt and so many other things that took her breath away.

"It's beautiful" she replied in awe. "I love it."

"Good." he smiled wide. "They said it was real."

"Real? You mean this is an authentic garment?"

"Yeah. Or, he said it was but ya know how that goes." he shrugged.

No one had ever done something so sweet for her before. She was grateful to have met people like this and she just couldn't help herself. Placing it back inside the box and setting it down, she reached out and grabbed Nick, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek. He squirmed while laughing until the two of them heard something in the distance. They froze.

It was hard to decipher what it was they had heard, but it was definitely something bad. Slowly, she let go of Nick and the two made their way to the edge of the exhibit. There was nothing for the moment so they proceeded. Again, slowly but surely, they made their way towards the main hall. when they turned the corner, Jasmine felt her breath catch in her throat.

In the lobby on the main floor, was the man in the crate. He had a sword, most likely one he stole from a display, and had it pointed directly at Larry's throat. She could see how tightly he was holding the night guard, his giant arms flexing every time the poor man attempted to move. She could see how angry the two of them were. Kahmunrah for being sent away and Larry for being caught.

She searched around as best she could with out moving into view and saw Ahkmenrah staring at his brother. There was a stand off between the two Egyptians. Movement in the Lobby had all but come to a stop, most of the 'human' exhibits moving to Ahkmenrah's side, while the animals seemed to just get out of the way all together.

"What are we gonna do?"

"Nothing for the moment." she sighed, trying her best to figure out what their options were.

"That's my dad." Nick declared, beginning to move out only to have her pull him back.

"Look here pet, we aren't going to be doing him any good if we rush out. We have to think of a plan first. Besides, Kah isn't going to kill your father... not until he gets the tablet."

"You will deliver the tablet to me now baby brother, and maybe I will let Mr. Daley live."

She heard the words loud and clear and felt a familiar chill run up her back. She was really starting to hate this museum...

**~I know this isn't too long, but I wanted to thank you guys for all of your comments and reviews again. I'm sorry to tell you guys it's going to be a while before I update again because I want to make sure I've got the whole outline of the rest of the stroy right. I don't want to publish anything that would waste you guys time. lol. Thanks again!!!!~**


	31. Chapter 31

**~Okay... I'm back. I know it's been a little longer then i thought to update but I have been staring at a blank screen. I kind of know what's going to happen, but I need a little more. I don't want this whole thing to last like, two chapters. That's just dumb when it has more potential. So, suggestions are totally welcomed. lol. Hope you enjoy this very short, tid bit. I'm going to be updating again, hopefully soon.**

Ch. 31:

"This is not good…" Jasmine muttered.

"But my dad's down there."

She turned to see Nick trying to rush to his father's aid. Her hand quickly shot out and grabbed him, pulling him close to face her.

"You don't understand how bad this guy is." She whispered. "If he knows you're here, or me for that matter, he's going to use it against your dad. He can't die, we can. Come on."

He was scared and she knew it but the best thing to do right now was stay in the shadows and try to come up with some kind of plan.

The two quietly made their way back to the Diorama room where Nick sat and Jasmine paced. A thought crossed her head. It was their best option, while they were downstairs. Her and Nick were out of sight and she knew Larry and Ahkmenrah wouldn't rat them out. This was definitely the best option.

"Come on." She muttered, holding her hand out and grabbing the young boy's before running from the room.

Nick wasn't sure of what they were doing or where they were going until he noticed the familiar hallway. They were heading to the Egyptian display. He began to realize what she was planning, but he honestly had no idea how wrong he was.

No surprise, she pried the tablet from the anchor inside the glass case. This time, thankfully, she only felt a slight tingle and didn't have a massive seizure like last time. That would have been all she needed, being unconscious and leaving poor Nick to take care of her. Quickly, the two left the exhibit knowing the group would soon make their way upstairs.

Diving in and out of the exhibits, the two slinked their way back undetected as the voices of the others grew louder. Kahmunrah was getting impatient and when a man of his limited intelligence and high agitation capacity got impatient, it was only a matter of time until he got violent.

"Nick, I need you to do me a favor. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure." He replied nervously, his mind still thinking about his dad.

"I need you to stand behind that doorway. I don't know what's going to happen."

His face shot to hers quickly.

"Just do that for me. I'll tell you when you can come back out okay?"

He slowly nodded.

"Go."

She watched as he hid behind the large marble doorway, peeking around the corner. She shook her head and motioned for him to get back. Jasmine honestly didn't know what was going to happen and she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if something happened to him. He was a sweet boy, a good person and she didn't want him to be a casualty.

She flipped the tablet over, trying to find the right combination of words for the incantation she needed. Slowly, the words seemed to pop out to her, as thought they knew what she needed. It was odd, but right now, it was all she needed.

Jasmine began to read from the tablet aloud. She didn't have the best history with this particular artifact, but she needed it, desperately.

As her words echoed through the exhibit, she felt something begin to take hold. She was scared, but only at first. A warm feeling enveloped her followed by a slight tingling. It was comfortable, and familiar. This was the reaction she was expecting.

Nick peeked around the corner to see what he wasn't supposed to. A thick glow, a mist almost seemed to come from the tablet. It swirled around the young woman as she continued to read. In an instant, her head shot back so she was staring at the ceiling. Nick was scared, more then before. What was she doing?

A few moments later, the mist faded, disappearing back into the tablet. Jasmine's knees buckled and she fell to the floor. Nick ran inside, dropping to her side.

"Jazz, you okay?" he asked, shaking her shoulders.

"Nick…" she muttered quietly. "I need you to take this tablet, and hide it. Can you do that dear?"

He didn't reply, only stared at her. Her head turned, her eyes staring directly into his. Something was different and he knew it.

"Nicky please. Take the tablet and hide. Take this." She fished into her pocket and grabbed her cell phone. "I'll call you when this is over, but you need to take the tablet an hide. Don't come out for anything. You hear me?"

He still remained silent.

"Do you understand?" she asked, gripping his shoulder. "Hide and don't come out until I call you."

"Okay…" he whispered.

"Now go."

He didn't move.

"Go!" she demanded, shoving the phone and tablet into his hands, pushing him away.

The young boy stood quickly, stared at her for a moment and ran from the display. She watched until he was gone before looking around for that box.

Jasmine quickly grabbed the box she had placed under the bench. She flung the top off and began to pull the pieces of clothing out. This was going to be her best bet. Make him see a ghost from the past.

She wasn't stupid, far from it. She had a plan formulating in her head that might actually help with this situation. She knew how the man thought and despite the fact he was only made of wax, Kahmunrah's mind was imprinted on the figure. There was going to be a war, and there was no getting around that.


	32. Chapter 32

Ch. 32

"I am losthing my patients…" Kahmunrah hissed. "Tell me where my tablet isth, or I am going to get really nasty."

"You mean you get worse? Cause right now, you're breath is killing me." Larry replied.

"Oh ha, ha, ha…" he mocked. "Where isth my tablet baby brother? I don't think you want thisth man's death on your handsth."

"Enough!" a voice yelled from the top of the stairs.

The objects and men in the lobby turned to the source. Standing atop the marble stairwell, stood someone from the past, someone they thought was dead and long gone. Mayat-Su-Namun.

Her hand glided gently down the railing as she descended. Her purple silk skirt held in her left hand, trailing the steps behind her. Her eyes bore into them as she stepped closer, the black make-up exaggerating the green orbs. The young woman's hair was tied back tightly, every bit of jewelry, every piece of clothing, everything, was exactly how the two royals remembered.

"It's not possible…" Kahmunrah mumbled.

Her eyes were trained on him as she crept closer, her feet making no sound on the floor.

Ahkmenrah's eyes began to tear up at the sight of her. Jasmine was close but this, this was his Mayati. This was his true queen, the one that he had wanted to be at his side throughout his rule, the one e had tried to bring back. This was her.

"You will go back to your crate and that will be the end of this." She commanded as she finished closing in on the open mouthed assailant.

"You…I… You're dead."

"I assure you, I am very mush alive." She replied coldly. "I'll give you one more chance Kahmunrah, return to your crate, or you will be more then a little sorry."

Larry and Ahk stared at her, as silent as the intruder. Larry suddenly felt foolish for giving her the clothing. He felt slightly responsible for anything that might come to pass. Ahk was different.

His heart beat loudly within his chest, the sound radiating in his ears at the sight of her. She was as perfect as the last time he saw her.

"Last chance." She said once more, still ignoring the others.

"I don't think stho." Kah replied with a wicked smile.

Her head cocked to the side slightly as he began to yell in gibberish. Wait, not gibberish… Hun. Her eyes shot to the horrified Pharaoh. She may speak many languages, but Hun was not one of them.

"Brother, you can't be serious." Ahk yelled.

"Oh I am baby brother, very seriousth."

Before the trio could comprehend what was going on, Attila and his men came running into the lobby, followed closely by the confederate soldiers and a few other random exhibits, each with a weapon drawn.

"Et tu Attila?" Larry asked sympathetically.

The ancient tyrant turned to the young Pharaoh and began to explain himself. His face was sad, but he just kept talking. Soon, the talking between the two began arguing until the young King surrendered.

"He says it's nothing personal. It's in his blood." Ahk shrugged.

"It seemsth I have the upper hand." He laughed.

"Wrong my friend."

Turning, the group saw the tall president with a young woman riding up on a red horse. The union soldiers behind him, joined by Columbus and a few others. There was now a stand off. The beings that were on the wrong side in history seemed to be repeating their mistakes, while the so called do gooders were doing the same. The house was being divided and no matter who won, it was going to end badly.

"Enough of this." She muttered to herself. "Release Mr. Daley and we will see what we can do."

"I think not. Give me the tablet now, or I will slice Larry's throat right now."

The young woman glanced up to the President and received a slight nod. In mere seconds, she grabbed the blade she had placed in the back of her skirt and launched it into Kahmunrah's shoulder, sending him stumbling backwards, releasing Larry. And in the blink of an eye, the trio disappeared behind their friends, the large horse blocking any advancement on the enemy's side.

"Find them!" Kah screamed angrily as he pulled the small blade from his shoulder.

The group scattered only to be stopped by the others in front of them. It was soon brother against brother, friend against friend. An all out war was being fought while the three ran, trying to find somewhere to hide until they could formulate a better plan.

The sound of swords clanging, fists being thrown and yelling echoed in the background as the three found a place to hide in the Diorama room once more.

"What's going on out there?" Larry asked as he collapsed onto a bench.

"It seems my brother wishes to rule the world once more."

"He's going to stop at nothing Larry, we have to find some way to get rid of him before the museum tears itself apart." A loud crashed sounded through the halls from the lobby causing them to cringe. "Which may happen sooner then we thought."

"Wait, first off, who are you?" Larry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Mayati." Ahk remarked happily.

"No…" Jasmine replied. "And yes… It's a little hard to explain and I don't think the most pressing matter.'

"Right… where's the tablet?' Larry asked before noticing his son wasn't with them. "Where's Nicky?!"

"Calm down. He's with the tablet. He's hiding." She said softly. "But we have to try and figure out what we should do."

"Aha!"

The three turned and watched as an armed Kahmunrah slid into the doorway. Ahkmenrah pushed Jasmine behind him and stood to face his brother.

"I have been wanting to do this for a long time." He muttered, his voice dangerously low.

"You and me both. The favorite sthon about to fall at the hand of his brother, the rightful heir. Poetic isn't it?" he asked with a wicked smile.


	33. Chapter 33

Ch.33

"Are we going to make this fair?" Ahk asked as the two men stared one another down.

"Perhapsth… But I'm not known for being fair."

"But it would make such a better story, you killing me while I was armed sounds much better then you killing me too easily."

"Never fear baby brother. When I tell the story, it will alwaysth be interesting."

"And probably change every time…" Jasmine mumbled.

She received a glare from the man in green. He didn't frighten her, not anymore. What was he going to do?

"Maybe you're right." He grinned. "You can use anything you can find."

The young man looked around the room. There was nothing in the room, nothing that would help him, until something caught his eyes.

Behind his brother, hiding around the corner, was Sacagawea. In her hand, as she smiled wide, was a spear. A sly smile crossed his lips as she launched it into the room. He caught it happily, twirling it in his fingers as his brother's face fell.

Ahkmenrah was a better fighter then him. He was smarter, kinder, and more logical as well. That was why everything was handed to him in life. Kahmunrah knew that his brother was an all around better person then him and that must have been the thing he hated most about the man. He was perfect and everyone knew it.

His eyes narrowed as he watched the younger man twirl the weapon effortlessly in his fingers, pacing each other. Slowly, Jasmine grabbed Larry and the two took a few steps back, making sure they were out of reach. She wouldn't put it pass Kah to grab one of them and use them as a human shield just to keep from fighting a loosing battle. The two watched, helpless to stop what was going to happen.

The two Egyptian brothers circled each other, their eyes trained on their opponent. The tension in the room was over whelming, weighing them down as the suspense grew.

Suddenly, with a loud cry, Kah lunged at his brother, swinging the sword maniacally. It was more then a little obvious to the others in the room he had no idea what he was doing, but just as obvious was the restraint Ahkmenrah was showing.

With the wooden portion of the handle, the young man knocked his brother's blade away from him before bringing up the end to connect with the man's forehead. Kah stumbled back, holding his injury before lunging again.

Again, Ahk dodged the shot with minimal effort. Kah grew angrier, his face turning red with rage as his missed over and over again. Finally, he had enough and swung his weapon wildly, running toward his younger sibling.

Ahk tried to anticipate the erratic movement but was having little luck. As he brought his wooden spear up to block, the handle was no match for the furious metal. With a shattering blow, the weapon cracked in two, one end hitting the ground loudly while the other remained in the young Pharaoh's hand. His face dropped, his large eyes shooting to the man that intended to hurt him, his family.

Seizing his opportunity, Kah swung once more. Ahk did his best to jump back, but with little success.

He felt something hot pierce his skin. It was an unfamiliar sensation, something he had only felt once in his life time and that wasn't a good memory. Looking down, he noticed his arm bleeding. A thin yet deep gash had opened across his left bicep. Shocked, he looked up into his brother's smiling face.

"It seemsth you can bleed." He said happily. "That means you can die too."

Kah lunged once more, intent on hitting his brother square in the chest this time instead of a graze. As his blade swung closer to the gold fabric that covered the delicate flesh, something shot out and connected with the back of his head, knocking the head dress loose.

He stared down at his crown, still spinning slightly on the ground. He slowly turned to find the young woman from his nightmares behind him. She was crouched, holding the other portion of the staff behind her back as she eyed the man. The young woman was more then ready to defend the people she cared about.

"Ooo… Kitty'sth got claws." He sneered.

"You have no idea." She hissed.

"You don't remember me… Do you?" he asked, bending over to grab his head piece and place it back where it belonged.

"I know who you are. That is more then enough."

"You and I have a history." He replied, turning to face her completely. "Part of you must remember."

She stared at him curiously. As she tried her best to think bout what he may have been talking about, he turned his anger towards her. His arm shot out, swinging his sword dangerously close to her face. Jasmine leaned back quickly, catching the tip of it across her cheek. It was a thin cut, much shallower them Ahkmenrah's but it still managed to squeeze out a drop of blood or two.

Her eyes were wide as she touched the damaged skin, her fingers glossy with the crimson fluid. That was more then enough for Ahk to see. His gut seethed with anger. Kahmunrah had hurt someone he had cared about.

There wasn't going to be any holding back anymore. With his brother's back turned to him, Ahk held tight to his weapon and swung the wooden handle hard, planting a crushing blow to the back of the man's knees. Kah yelled loudly as he fell to the ground in pain. Not missing a moment, Ahk cracked his brother across the chest, knocking him onto his back.

Ahk kicked the weapon away from his unconscious brother's hands before rushing to the young woman's side. He dropped his own weapon to the ground, his hands coming to her face as Larry stepped forward.

"Are you alright Mayati?" he asked sweetly.

"I'm not… Yes," she replied, not wanting to correct him. "I'm fine."

She smiled to him sweetly. He obviously cared about her and she was just going to accept it, thinking it was best to forget what he had done to her. For some reason, looking into is eyes made her want to forget everything and just kiss him once more, but she repressed the urge.

As the two of them stared at one another, seemingly lost in their thoughts, something hit Akmenrah. His eyes widened as he looked down. A gasp escaped her mouth as she glanced down and noticed the bronze tip of a sword sticking out of his chest.

Jasmines heart fell in her chest as she heard a gurgling sound escape the young man's throat. She lunged forward to catch him as he fell to the ground, a smiling Kahmunrah behind him.

"No…" she whispered, holding him in her arms. "You're going to be fine." She assured him.

"It doesn't appear to be that way." He replied with a forced laugh.

"Sure you will. You brought me back." She smiled weakly, her eyes filling with tears.

"How touching." Kah said loudly. "I killed the lover and now the King. How precious."

Her eyes arrowed as she stared at the man in green. She was pulsing with anger, an uncontrollable rage bubbling up inside her. She wanted to kill him, maim him… do anything that was going to make her feel better.

Slowly, she let the young man slip from her grip and lay on the ground, Larry coming to his side to help him. As she trained her fury on him, she couldn't control herself. Jasmine's arm shot out and landed a blow on the man's chin. A loud crack emanating from the action before he fell to the ground, this time unconscious for certain. To add insult to injury, she made sure to kick him hard in the gut before returning to the young King.

"Larry, call my cell phone and tell Nick he can come out. We'll deal with the situation downstairs later." She muttered.

It was then he realized the fighting was still going on. He sighed to himself before letting her take his place.

"You sure you got this?" he asked kindly.

"Yeah." She replied calmly. 'We're fine."

Larry nodded and grabbed his phone, stepping away to call his son. The young woman looked down at the man in her arms, the tears finally breaking free from her eyes.

"You cry far too often for some one so beautiful." He told her with a weak smile.

She laughed quietly to herself, her hand wiping the tears that had fallen onto his face.

"Would you mind terribly if you pulled this thing out of my back? It is making things a bit uncomfortable."

She laughed again and rolled his over slightly before pulling the weapon out. She began to cry harder seeing his blood grace the ancient blade. Not wanting it near her, she tossed it to the far corner, hearing the clanking sound echo in her ears.

"You're going to be just fine." She said quietly. "You'll see."

"What ever you say." He replied, his smile weak and forced. "I'm sorry, for any pain I caused you. It was never my intention.'

"Shh… It doesn't matter now."

The sound of Larry and Nick walking into the room fell on deaf ears. She was paying attention to nothing other then the man in her arms. Nothing else mattered to her.

Nick looked up to his father for some kind of answer but frankly, Larry didn't have any. He put his hand on his sons shoulder, trying his best to reassure him, but knew it didn't matter much.

As the young boy looked on at something he didn't completely understand, a thought crossed his mind. He was a very smart boy.

Jasmine leaned down and placed a delicate kiss on the Pharaoh's lips and suddenly felt him go rigid. Fearing the worst, she hesitated to open her eyes as she pulled away. He had gone cold in her hands and she didn't want to see dead eyes looking back at her.

"It's okay." She heard Nick tell her. "He's only sleeping."

Slowly, Jasmine opened her eyes and saw the sleeping King, dehydrated and mummified once more. Her heart broke inside. Jasmine leaned forward and sobbed into the decrepit figure in her lap.

There was nothing but silence. The fighting had stopped, the pain had stopped, and all that was left was the faint cries of the young Jasmine.


	34. Chapter 34

**Okay kiddies, I know it has been months since I have updated this story and I am so sorry about that. I could tell you a long story about moving, computer viruses and crashes, but I won't. I lost everything I had finished, so I had to start over. But I hope you guys didn't compeltely give up on it. Here you go. And thank you for being so patient.**

**Ch. 34**

The young woman was lost in herself, thinking of nothing but the dried body in her arms. She didn't want to feel anything anymore, to think anymore, she only wanted him. Blaming herself for what had happened despite knowing it wasn't her fault. Slowly, Larry knelt forward, placing his hand gently on her shoulder to rouse her. With red eyes, Jasmine looked into the concerned face of her friend.

"Come on. We need to take care of everything before the end of the shift." he told her calmly.

She nodded, knowing he was right despite not wanting to have to do it. As though her souls had left her body, the young woman rose, lifting the light corpse in her hands. She was a robot, no emotion left within her as she walked to the tomb and laid him to rest. Her sweet prince, her loving king.

Lightly, Jasmine touched his cheek in her delicate hand. Perhaps this was the best thing to do, let him sleep like this. Perhaps it would just be easier for her to leave in the two weeks she had left if he simply slept through it. The real question was, could she do it?

Eventually, she placed the lid back on his coffin and headed for the lobby. The damage was minimal, a few gashes in the dummies and some clothing, nothing more. An easy fix.

Larry had taken the task of getting Kahmunrah to the loading dock, irritated when he found the crate was completely shattered. The best he could figure was to set it up like the crate had fallen over in the middle of the night. No problem. As he gathered the pieces of everything, he noticed something on the ground near the peanuts. A piece of paper. Seeing the name on the envelope, he knew what to do. After he was finished, Larry made his way into the museum, finding Jasmine as she finished leaning some of the Huns into their display.

"Found something with Kah." he said simply.

Turning, Jasmine saw the envelope in his hands. Eying it curiously, she took it and began to read. It was a note from her father. He hadn't heard of her plans with the exhibit and the two had been to busy working to talk to one another. He thought he would take it upon himself to send her something he thought would help. She smiled, knowing he only meant to help.

"Thank you Larry." she said kindly, placing it in the belt of her skirt.

She hadn't had time to change yet, but it was on her list of things to do when she was finished here which she almost was. He nodded, not wanting to bother her. She was obviously distraught, trying to find something that would make her mind focus on something else. He knew there was nothing she wanted to avoid more at the moment then a conversation about _him_.

It took little time to get everything back to the way it was, or at least so close no one would be able to tell the difference. It would pass for now until it was safe to unleash the power of the tablet once again. After that, the statues would have to deal with what they had done and at the end of the night, go back to the same pose they had been in for who knew how long.

Changing quickly, Jasmine made her way to the lobby, the box under her arms. Larry and Nick were waiting for her by the doors. She smiled sweetly to them, trying her best to legitimize the decision she had already come to when she placed the tablet back in the display. The sun had already risen and she knew it was coming close to opening time.

"We going to see you before you leave?" Larry asked.

"I'm sure you will. You should come by one Tuesday. You figures should be here by then and set up."

"I'll do that." he smiled.

The date was four days away, but he knew by then everything in the tomb would be more or less finished. There were probably a few touches, straightening things, making sure all the dust was swept up, and that was all.

"Thanks again for the gift." she replied smiling weakly.

The young man smiled as she leaned forward and hugged him tightly, kissing him on the cheek lightly. Bending down slightly, she hugged Nick as well, kissing him again as she had before. He didn't fidget this time.

With a final smile, the young woman left, hailing the first cab that she had seen before driving off.

"You think she's really going to come back?" Nick finally asked his dad.

"Honestly Nicky, during the day, yeah. Night is something totally different."

"You think Ahkmenrah's going to be okay?"

"Sure. I don't think he can really die. He's already dead. He might just need some rest." he answered, turning and placing his hand on his son's shoulder. "Come on."

The young woman had made her way home and slowly ascended the stairwell to her home. She felt welcomed, but there were so many things going through her mind at the moment. What was she going to do about him? Losing him like that had nearly broken her heart, and he wasn't even gone. How was she supposed to keep going? She knew she loved him, more then anything she had ever loved before, so what now?

Slowly, Jasmine made her way to the bathroom, ready to wash the disgusting feeling from her skin. The water poured from the shower head, steam billowing from it as she lowered her head underneath the stream. Staring down at the drain, she watched the water leave, praying it took everything with it. She hoped her fear, anger, hurt, love, sadness, and pain went down with it. She wanted to be numb, to not feel anything until she had cleared her mind. The shower wasn't helping as much as she thought it would so she might as well try to sleep.

Wrapping the towel around her body, she made her way to the mirror and with a steady hand, she wiped away the steam. Staring into the reflective glass, she saw a face that wasn't hers. The young woman that stared back at her was some one she had only caught glimpses of before today.

"So, you are Mayati?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Yes. And you must be Jasmine." the woman in the glass replied.

Perhaps it should have shocked her to see the image reply, and speak so clearly, but it didn't. Jasmine had seen so many things the last few months, the last few hours, that she no longer questioned things a normal, rational person would. To her, this was probably normal.

"What am I suppose to do?" she asked the figure.

"What is it you wish to do?" it replied.

"I wish to stay, with him." she answered before dropping her head. "But he's not mine." She looked up once more, tears forming in her eyes. "He belongs to you."

"He loves you."

"Not like he does you. He doesn't see me. Every look, every touch, they're all meant for you. Not me." she replied, the tears falling from her cheeks.

The young woman in the mirror only stared back, her own eyes clear from tears but filled with sadness all the same.

"There's nothing I can tell you, that you don't already know." she finally said.

"I don't know anything." she cried. "I am lost when it comes to the two of you. He is in love with s spirit."

"I no longer live." she answered simply. "I have long since passed on."

"So has he." she snapped.

"His soul has not had the opportunity to rest. He was charged with guarding the tablet, and as long as it needs him, he must be there for it."

"The tablet isn't his to protect. It's ours." she answered simply.

"Precisely."

"So what should I do?"

"You are the only one that can answer that. Either you wish to say, or you don't."

"What would you do?"

"I can not answer that."

"Why?" Jasmine asked, her brow furrowing in irritation.

"Because I am you."

The young woman dipped her head, still glaring at the answer.

"I am getting so tired of that answer." she said angrily, glancing up only to see herself looking back. "Figures…"


	35. Chapter 35

**Ch. 35**

The soldiers had come that Monday, much to her surprise. The only thing that made her day better, was seeing the same little plump woman that had helped her jump from the cab of the large moving truck.

"Hey there darling." she said happily, coming to hug Jasmine.

The young woman smiled happily, hugging the woman she had becomes friends with tightly.

"It's so good to see you." she replied, finally feeling her spirits lift. "You didn't have to make the drive yourself."

"Are you kidding me? I couldn't wait to get these guys down here. Plus, you got me kind of curios about what you were doing." she smiled.

"Clever little woman." she replied with a laugh. "Shall we then?"

"We shall." she laughed.

With help from a few other workers, the young woman and her friend lowered the trucks platform, grabbed a pair of dollies, and began to unload the six, rather large boxes. It was careful work but Teresa reassured her that she had packed them so tightly, an earthquake couldn't move them. From the way she had explained it, Jasmine couldn't help but think that the woman was a reckless driver. It made her laugh again.

This was the first time in a while she finally felt happy. There was no psychopathic wax brother trying to kill them, there was no Pharaoh casting spells on her, there was no soul trying to dominate her body. She was simply doing what she loved with a person she enjoyed. Finally, things were simple.

Moving them up the stairs was a bit trickier then she had thought, but with the four extra bodies they had wrangled before hand, it took little time. Slowly, they brought the crates to the exhibit and lined them up where they needed to be before being opened.

"Wow." Teresa muttered. "You did this?"

"Hm?" she asked, slightly distracted. "Yes. I just finished today actually."

"I like it a lot." she said with a smile.

"Well, this is the final touch." she smiled. "Shall we?"

"After you."

Teresa smiled wide, a crowbar in her hand. With a slight wink, she handed it to Teresa and positioned herself behind the crate, gripping the sides tightly.

Jasmine giggled before ramming the flat head under the lip of the wooden lid. With a quick jerk, the nails screeched as the side came loose. Moving to the opposite side, the young woman repeated her actions and with a loud BANG, the lid hit the ground. As though flood gates were opened, all manner of stuffing came gushing forward. Still smiling like she was opening a Christmas present, Jasmine pushed the remaining debris out of her way and saw the soldier for the first time. Her heart pumped happily as she noticed the perfect clothing. Suddenly, she saw his restraints.

"Good god woman. You weren't lying." she said, running her fingers around the multiple black cords that were fastened to the model.

"Oh calm down." she teased. "Watch."

She watched as Teresa's stubby hand came up and pulled a single cord. As though they had all been touched, the cord went slack, falling easily away from the figure.

"Very nice." Jasmine laughed. "Give me a hand."

Teresa positioned herself on the back end of the crate once more and began to slowly pivot it as Jasmine gently held the figure. Slowly, but surely, the soldier emerged from the wooden confines and finally stood in their presence.

"He's perfect." she muttered.

"Why thank you." Teresa smiled, placing the crate down and moving to face it.

Jasmine couldn't help but let her mouth hang open at the sight before her. Everything was absolutely perfect from the clothe wrapped around his hips, to the headdress he wore, and still to the sparse jewelry that adorned his skin. But something was missing.

"Where are the weapons?"

"Damn!" she answered, smacking her forehead. "Left them in the truck. I'll be right back."

Jasmine smiled as the plump woman scurried out of the exhibit and down the stairs. Turning her attention back to the structure, she couldn't help but notice something familiar about his face. His eyes were brow, the wrong color, but the face… She couldn't place it. Why was he so familiar? Then it hit her. Unable to keep herself from it, Jasmine began laughing loudly. Her stomach hurt as genuine laughter filled the massive corridor.

"What's so funny?" a familiar voice asked.

Trying to quiet herself, Jasmine turned to see Rebecca walking into the tomb. At the sight of confusion on her friend's face, she continued to laugh all the more. The poor brunette had no idea of what was going on until she looked at the source. Jasmine giggled as she cocked her head to the side, examining the wax figure until her eyes grew wide. It was the same recognition that had struck Jasmine. With a shocked glance to her friend and a reassuring nod, Rebecca let the laughter fill her as well. The two women looked like idiots as they held their stomachs, pointing to the statue.

"I guess you like it?" Teresa asked as she came into the room, three staffs and three swords in her hands.

"He's going to kill you." Jasmine giggled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Nah. He was just so cute, I couldn't help myself." she laughed. "Come on, let's get the rest of them done."

With a nod, Jasmine turned to Rebecca.

"You want to give us a hand?"

"I can't. I've got a couple tours lined up but it's good to hear you laugh again." she said with a sweet smile.

Jasmine returned the look before her friend turned away and walked off out the massive door. When she turned, she saw the eager look on the small woman's face. She was more then ready to get cracking on the rest of them. Jasmine glanced once more at the statue to her side and smiled. Poor Larry.

Teresa had stayed behind until all of the statues were out of the crates and on their small platforms. She didn't really trust any of the museum workers to not damage her art work, having seen a few of them were damaged on the way in. Too bad she didn't know why. But, her help was much appreciated. It had managed to keep Jasmine's mind, more or less, off of the sleeping king in the distance. But apparently, when ever she had slipped into those thoughts, it didn't go unnoticed.

"So what's the matter with you honey? You keep going in and out?" she asked as she delicately placed a spear in the 'Larry-Look-Alike' 's hand.

"Just have a few things on my mind." she replied solemnly.

"Like what?"

"I've just begun to like it here." she answered, forcing a smile. "And in a few days I have to go on a dig in Egypt."

"So don't go." she shrugged.

"I have to. My father put his reputation on the line to get this spot. Not many women, let alone twenty-four year olds, get a spot. They're highly coveted."

"Then go."

"I'm going to miss it here though."

"So don't go."

Jasmine smiled before turning to the woman and eying her.

"It's a boy isn't it?" Teresa asked with an inquisitive glance.

Jasmine rolled her eyes. _Boy_. Ahkmenrah may be many things, but boy wasn't one of them. Teresa mistook the smile on her face from the unspoken joke as a _yes_.

"Awe!" she cooed loudly. "Tell me about him."

"I don't know what you're talking about." she replied as she adjusted the clothe on a statue behind the round woman.

"Liar. Tell me, tell me, tell me." she called.

"Fine!" Jasmine replied, rolling her eyes. "There _was_ a boy."

"Was? What happened?"

"He lost interest."

"How'd that happen? You're a catch doll."

Jasmine turned in time for Teresa to wink at her playfully. She couldn't help but laugh, but it soon faded.

"That bad huh?"

"No. He's perfect. But I look so much like his ex that it makes me wonder if that wasn't the reason he was with me to begin with."

As she stared at the wax man in front of her, she felt something on her shoulder. Turning, she saw a smiling Teresa. She was reassuring her with the light touch.

"Look kid, when you're as old as I am, you've seen it all. But, if he makes you happy, truly happy, then you got to fight for it."

Jasmine smiled at her friend. If only she knew what the problem really was. It wasn't as simple as that. She couldn't sit here and spend every night with him. She couldn't rule out any other person in her life for the hope he would come around. She couldn't shake the feeling that he really did only see Mayati when he looked at her anyway. How do you get passed something like that?

"So!" Teresa finally chimed loudly. "When you heading to…"

"Valley of the Kings." she replied, thankful for the change in subject.

"Yeah… there… So when you heading out?"

"Well, the exhibit is finished now. Once a few things are straightened away, I'm done."

"When were you supposed to leave?"

"Next Thursday."

"That's only… ten days away." she answered surprised.

"I know. But I may leave sooner. Like I said, I am already finished."

"Yeah. I guess…"

"Awe. I'll come and see you before I go." she told the woman with a wide smile.

"Damn right you will." Teresa laughed. "I worked my ass off for these guys."

Jasmine laughed as the two finished their work, her mind wandering. Maybe she would leave early. There was nothing left here and she couldn't honestly expect Larry to keep the tablet's square turned for her. She knew he was bored, she was just being selfish.

She would simply ignore the museum, if that was as easy as it sounded. But something about this place drew her closer to it. Whenever she felt the pulse from the tablet, she felt the need to come to it, as though it called to her from the distance. She didn't like it. that piece of gold has caused her more trouble then anything else she had ever been near in her life. It was a natural disaster in a pretty package.

But could she leave without saying good-bye? Sure it was easier, but was it fair? The last time she had seen Ahkmenrah, he was bleeding, professing his love for… someone that wasn't her. That small memory, of his looking into her eyes and not seeing her, was enough to make her want to leave and not look back. But was it his fault? The two of them were obviously meant to be with one another, so perhaps she shouldn't be so hasty when something like that happened. But she couldn't help it. Jasmine loved Ahkmenrah…

Did she honestly just say that? Even to herself? She thought about it for a moment. He was the first one she thought about when she woke up, the last one before she slept, the one in her dreams. He was the one that always managed to infiltrate her thoughts at any time during the day. Out of work and him, most of her thoughts were about him.


	36. Chapter 36

**Ch. 36**

The young man was mulling over the words he had heard earlier that day. He had to admit, his heart began to race with joy at the sound of Jasmine laughing. By far the best sound to awaken to. But, after yearning to hear her voice, he had to admit he wished he hadn't. The conversation that commenced was something he wished he had slept through. She was leaving in a few days time, and what was worse, she may leave sooner.

He had to stop her. He had to make her realize he cared for her. He had to make her see that he was finished with Mayati and was more then willing to settle for her.

Settle for her…

The words sounded wrong even in his head. Jasmine was not a person you settled for, she was a person you worked for. She was a person you worked your hardest to win. And once you had her, you had to pray she saw you the way you worshiped her. But she had been right.

When he had looked at her before, he had seen Mayati, his Mayati. There was no way he couldn't. He had tried to ignore it, to fight the urge to call her the wrong name, but it was difficult. The Egyptian from his life had consumed him so completely, he had been unable to think of anything else. Her death had destroyed him and when his betrothed had found out, she destroyed his life. But he had nothing to offer her.

When he was alive, he would have spent everything he had, his time, his love, his money, anything he had to make her happy. But he wasn't alive. She was right. He was dead and there was nothing he could do about it. He knew the best he could manage was to see her once a night. He could never walk with her in the sunlight. He would never be able to give her a home. He would never be able to give her a family. He could never hold her hand to his heart so she could feel what she did to him. He couldn't even offer her body heat. Despite being a king, he had nothing to offer her.

So what did he expect? Was she supposed to visit him every night? The two of them trying to find a moment alone because he was unable to leave the building? Was she supposed to forgo a normal life just for him? Was she supposed to abandon her job, something she loved, in order to become a recluse, sneaking away to the museum in the middle of the night? He couldn't ask her to do any of that, and he wasn't going to.

Perhaps, leaving was the best thing she could do. It may have been painful when he lost her to begin with, but he wasn't going to be the reason she abandoned everything else. She was living, he wasn't. His time had come and gone. He wasn't to try and live through her, to try and regain something he obviously wasn't meant to have. It wasn't right.

When he woke up the next time, able to leave the tomb, he would explain the conclusion he had come to, to Larry. That was if he was going to be able to wake up. He knew she was still angry about everything that had happened, but he hoped she would at least wake him to say good bye. As much as it broke his still heart, he knew it was the best possible thing to do. There was simply no other choice.

That night, Larry had thought, that perhaps this time, without her knowing, he could unleash the tablets power. He was getting bored, incredibly bored. He couldn't stand having to be an actual night guard, and he wasn't sure how others could. Two days was more then enough for him and he was going to have his fun. Slamming his fist down on the reception desk as to solidify his decision, Larry set off towards the Egyptian wing.

As he rounded the corner, he jumped slightly at the sight of the two guards in front of the door way instead of behind. It was inadvertent, but he couldn't help it. Those things freaked him out. But, he knew they weren't moving, yet, so he made his way into the display.

This was the first time he had seen the new exhibit and he liked it. The soldiers were displayed with their weapons, their make-up and clothing perfect, standing on their small platforms to make them seem more like displays instead of people lurking in the dark. As he went to walk pass the first one, something caught his eye. Turning, he saw something he wasn't expecting.

The man moved closer to the statue, eying it skeptically until he felt his breath catch in his throat. He was looking at a model of himself. Or at least, it looked like him. The guy was the same height, had the same face, and similar features. The only thing that was different was the hair style and eye color. But despite these little differences, he knew for a fact it was him. Sighing heavily, and making a mental note to kick Jasmine's ass, he walked forward.

In a case, behind the Pharaoh, was the tablet. It was displayed beautifully, like the other things in the case, the center block slightly askew. He knew she wanted the exhibit to look perfect, so instead of placing it back the way it was, she had tilted it as much as possible without actually sealing it. Clever. But, he had to admit, he was more grateful for her leaving the glass top unlocked. She knew at some point the was going to want to activate the artifact again, so she had avoided sealing the case.

Moving his sleeve down to his hand, Larry used it to open the glass. He wanted to keep it as clean as possible, avoiding his finger prints. When he was sure he had enough clearance, Larry wiggled his other hand inside and tried to stretch his finger tips to the block, avoiding the other pieces. Slowly, but surely, he made it to the gold and with a quick flick of his finger, the piece fell into place.

He felt the pulse radiate through the museum as the life giving spell spread. A smile crossed his lips at the thought of everyone being alive and well, and free once more. As he lowered the glass, letting it fall lightly into place, Larry heard a stirring inside the coffin. Moving quickly, he ran to the side and helped his friend escape his tomb.

Ahkmenrah rose once the lid was lifted. A breath of fresh air, if he had to breathe. Smiling wide, he glanced around his tomb. His smile, however, soon faded when he noticed movement behind his friend. Almost immediately, the soldiers had leapt from their platforms, charging the intruder with their weapons drawn.

Holding out his hand and shouting in Egyptian, Ahkmenrah declared himself. Instantly, they dropped to their knee, an arm across their chest to show their respect. When the Pharaoh motioned for them to rise, Larry felt himself wince when he noticed the recognition on Ahk's face.

"It looks just like you Larry." he smiled wide.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." he grumbled, glaring at the guard.

"So that is why she was laughing."

"She? Jazz was in here?"

"Yes. She woke me with her laughter."

Larry eyed him for a moment.

"What are you going to do?"

"Let her go. I have no choice." he answered in a quiet voice.

The night guard nodded slightly before stepping off the newly raised platform. He watched as Ahkmenrah swung his legs over the edge and prepared to drop. Apparently, it was further then he had guessed and when his feet hit the ground, he fumbled.

Larry tried to hold back a laugh at the sight of bright gold robes swirling through the air as the king tried to steady himself. Once the king was standing, he shot Larry a hateful look, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I have eight guards now Larry. You think it wise to press me?" he asked with a smile.

"And I have a gold block that puts you to sleep." he answered, a smile on his own face. "Your move Kingy!"

Ahkmenrah laughed at the mock fighting stance Larry had taken with his threat. The young man smiled, standing straight once more and placing his hand on the boy king's shoulder.

"Come on man. Let's go make sure the others don't kill each other."

"Of course."


	37. Chapter 37

Ch. 37

Her heart began to beat faster and faster, bordering on frantic. She had only been reading a book, but something was effecting her. She felt something pulling, deep within the pit of her stomach, beckoning her. The tablet. Glaring, she knew Larry had released its power and now it was asking for her to come to it.

Throwing her book across the room, she grabbed her pillow and tried to drown out the sound. It didn't help. There was nothing that could stop it from calling her unless she was within a few feet from it or in the same building. It wanted her to be at its side. How annoying…

"This is kind of creepy." Larry mumbled as he and his friend made their way to the lobby.

"You get used to it." he smiled.

The night guard couldn't imagine getting used to having six men walking relatively close to you while you took a stroll, their eyes darting around for any danger. Four times already, Ahkmenrah had to tell them to calm down. It was going to take a while for them to get the hang of it, but oh well.

With a wave of his hand and an exaggerated sigh, Ahk dispersed the troops, letting them roam free around the museum. He shook his head, wondering how awkward it was going to be to have body guards again after all this time.

"I guess you healed up okay." Larry finally said, pointing to the man's chest and arms.

Glancing down, Ahk noticed the wounds had healed. He stared at them curiously, his fingers gliding over the spot he knew they had been.

"I suppose you are right." he mumbled. "How odd."

"You didn't know that would happen?"

"Not a clue." he replied before glancing up and smiling. "I've never been out of my sarcophagus until you let me out. And since then, there wasn't any fighting."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

You learn something new about this place almost everyday. Larry turned his attention back to the beings that were beginning to walk around the lobby. His back tightened as he waited for the fighting to begin, but nothing happened. The groups hesitated for a moment before shaking hands with their counterpart, ending the ridiculous fight.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Larry noticed something in the distance, just pass the bones of the dinosaur, and saw the outline of a person standing in the doorway. They were pressed against the glass, hands cupped around the sides of their face to better see. Larry freaked. He ran to the stairs, turning quickly and nearly falling as he did. Some one had randomly walked up and now they could see everything. He had to get them to move away as soon as possible. God only knows what would happen if it was some little old lady trying to get a peek at all the noise. Rexy would give her a freakin' heart attack.

as he skidded to a stop in front of the door, readying his 'Can you please step away from the glass' speech, he felt a sigh of relief. It was only Jasmine. Oh shit, it was Jasmine. Larry forced a weak smile at her, waving like an idiot through the glass, not attempting to open the door.

"Hi." he yelled through the doors.

She eyed him for a moment before pointing to the lock.

"Sorry what?" he yelled, holding his hand to his ear as though he didn't understand.

"Unlock the door Larry." she replied.

"Huh?"

"I know you activated the tablet Larry. I don't care."

His face dropped.

"How… I don't know what you mean." he said defensively.

"Just open the door."

"How did you know I used the tablet?" he asked, the keys already going back into his pocket after he opened the door.

"Guardian remember." she smiled pointing to herself. "I can feel the damn thing."

"Huh…" he answered surprised. "Go figure. You're a weird one aren't you?"

"Me?" she laughed. "You spend every night playing with the reanimated statues of historical figures."

"Point taken." he replied with a crooked smile.

The two of them smiled at their comments before glancing around. It truly was amazing. Overhead, three large condors flew, their wings spread wide. On the top floor, a lion and his two female mates walked through the groups. Teddy was with his lovely lady and the others going about their own business. This was perhaps the happiest, and most amazing place in the world. Every fantasy could come true here. You would ride a dinosaur, you carry on conversations with long since dead people, or anything else you could think of.

"I truly am going to miss this place." she swooned, the smile fading slightly.

"So you're still leaving?"

"Yes." she answered glancing down to him. "I have a job opportunity coming up… And, I'm not completely sure it's… healthy for me to remain here."

he forced an awkward laugh at the mention of it being unhealthy but he knew what she meant. Things were being done without her consent and none of it had faired well for her. Honestly, he was surprised she even still came around instead of running for the hills screaming. The thought made him smile again.

"You going to tell him when you're leaving?" he asked, pointing to the Pharaoh that had been watching them, refusing to move.

She glance up at him and immediately regretted it. Her eyes were locked to his, the deep brown color keeping her attention completely. He smiled sweetly to her, something that made her heart race in her chest. It was a feeling that you couldn't help but hate sometimes, and yet, you loved it when it happened. It meant you were alive, that the one who brought the reaction out in you was the one you were meant to be with. Jasmine smiled sweetly, her hand raising in a slight wave. He responded.

"I'm not sure yet." she answered truthfully. "They want me to leave Thursday."

"This Thursday?" he asked loudly.

"Well, they want me for the dig next week, but it has been months since I've been home. I miss it. I wanted to go home for a bit and see family before I was gone for another few months."

"I can see that but I figured you would have let us know more then two days ahead of time."

"I'm sorry." she answered quietly, her eyes still on the Pharaoh. "But I know you understand."

He sighed heavily, his eyes traveling up to the ornately dressed man, still smiling wide at the young woman to his right. He did understand, he really did. As he thought about how hard this must be for her, he remembered the happy days when he was in the dark about the entire situation. Ah, the good old days when he would only catch the end of the conversation and didn't care to hear the rest.

"You going to go talk to him?" he finally asked her.

"I suppose I should. This will not end well." she sighed before walking forward. "I don't know if it would be a good idea for you to interrupt us. It may not be pleasant."

"Don't worry. I've seen how pissed you get. I'm all good out here." he laughed nervously before noticing the soldier standing by the king and glaring at it. "And what's the big idea with that guy?!"

The young woman turned and glanced at the soldier, laughing at the sight.

"Teresa has a bit of a crush on you. I was just as surprised as you." she laughed.

Larry blushed at the phrase. He figured the little woman had something going towards him but enough to actually make a model from him? Creepy… and yet, slightly flattering. He smiled inwardly and turned to make his rounds.

Jasmine's eyes were still locked intently with the Pharaoh's as she climbed the stairs, rounding the corner and standing in front of him. The six soldiers, three on either side like she had expected, dropped their weapons and bowed to her. Something neither of them had expected.

"You seem to have a presence about you." Ahkmenrah smiled.

"It appears so." she replied, eying the men wearily. "May I speak with you?"

Ahkmenrah's mouth went slack. She wanted to speak with him, alone preferably, but right now he didn't care. They could be in the middle of a crowded room and he would still be elated that she was speaking to him.

"Alone." she muttered, still looking at the soldiers.

"Of course. The tomb?"

"Sure. I know you're more comfortable there anyway." she smiled.

The young man muttered commands to the soldiers before the dispursed. Honestly, he was glad they were gone. Still smiling wide, he extended his arm to the young woman. The two set off to the tomb, him smiling wide, her…

Jasmine tried to think of the words to say. She wanted to stay behind, more then anything but she couldn't spend her life in a museum… not in that way at least. She was still alive, still had a pulse, and wanted the chance to live without someday being mistaken as one of the exhibits. Her face was contorting as the two walked.

Ahk glanced to his side to see her thinking intently. The look on her face made him more aware that the conversation she wished to have, was not one he wished to hear. But he had already decided while he slept that she had to be freed from him. He couldn't ask any more from her then he already had.

But no matter how he had convinced himself that it was a good idea to let her go, he still couldn't me anything but happy that she was here. He relished in the heat coming from her skin, the flush pink that graced her cheeks, the beautiful smell that radiated from her. If she was leaving, he was at least going to enjoy the time he had with her.

As they rounded the corner to the exhibit, she found herself smiling happily at the sight of the large warriors. When they grew closer, the creatures turned to face her kneeling low with their arms across their chest to show respect. Coming to a stop, Jasmine bowed low before standing.

"It's nice to see you again gentlemen." she said kindly.

The two nodded their heads to her before standing, taking their place once more on either side of the entry way.

Slowly, the two made their way inside. Ahkmenrah still held her arm to his before walking to his crypt and waited for her to speak. She stared into his face, trying her best to think of the words before her mouth opened. There was no stopping them, but perhaps she didn't feel as though she should try.

"I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow night will be my last one here." she blurted.

"When will you return?"

"I won't."

Someone had ripped the breath from his lungs, smothering him with nothing more then words.

**I hope you guys like it so far, and I have a question for you. I wanted to know if you thought they should get a little... physical in the next chapter? It's up to you guys. If you want them to, leave me a comment or message and let me know. Thanks a bunch!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Okay, first you guys rock for the compliments. It makes me happy that you guys came to read it after its been so long since its been update. Second, physicality is beginning. lol. Thirdly, this ones really long cause the next one is short. It's going to be the last chapter (39), so I hope you guys enjoy this. Thanks again! Enjoy!**

**Ch. 38**

She could see the sadness in his eyes as her words sunk in. She wanted to hug him, to hold him close and tell him everything was going to be okay, but she couldn't. She didn't know if everything was going to be okay or not so she wasn't going to lie to him.

"I'm sorry Ahkmenrah." she muttered, taking her hand from his and turning to walk away.

He stared at the back of her head as she inched closer to the entry way. He felt something rise inside him, something he hadn't felt before when it came to her. He was angry. He was angry that she was leaving, angry that she wasn't giving him a chance to tell her how he felt.

Before he could rationalize the thought, his arm shot out, clamped his hand around her arm, and twirled her around. The young woman's eyes were wide with shock at the sudden movement, but she wasn't given time to react. Before she could move, Ahkmenrah pressed his lips to hers, crushing the delicate skin beneath them.

She felt the desperation in his touch as he held her tightly. He wasn't going to let go and she wasn't completely sure she wanted him to. She felt the love behind the touch, the need for her to remain there, the longing for her and it was all she needed. She wanted him too. She wanted nothing more, then to remain with him.

Slowly, she let her rigid body relax into him, his grip loosening only enough to make her comfortable. Her arms moved around his neck, holding onto him to steady herself as his lips parted, taking hers into his mouth. She gasped as he bit her bottom lips, applying minimal pressure before releasing her and kissing her deeper.

She was his. He wanted nothing more in his life then to have her. The man's head began to swim as his hands came down and gripped her backside. With a swift movement, she was lifted into the air, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. He couldn't help but smile at the sound she made when he had lifted her. It was somewhere between shock and excitement.

Ahkmenrah stared into her face, her beautiful face that hadn't aged a day as he moved some of the loose strands of hair out of the way. She smiled sweetly to him, her own hand lightly touching his face. Right now, this moment here, was complete perfection.

"I love you, with all my heart." he whispered to her, his hand cupping her cheek lightly. "You are perfect to me."

He smiled sweetly to her, a weak smile touching her lips as her eyes glassed over. She was on the verge of crying once more, something he didn't want to see.

"No tears, please." he muttered, his face contorting into worry.

"I can't help it." she told him. "I never imagined you would be so perfect."

He smiled at the compliment, knowing he was anything but. Slowly, he leaned forward and kissed her lightly. She couldn't help it. As her eyes closed to receive him, she felt the tears fall freely, sliding down her cheek.

When he pulled away, and noticed tears had been shed. Leaning forward, and with more tenderness that was making her cry in the first place, he kissed her eyes. He didn't want her to cry, not anymore.

"Please, please stop crying." he whispered, his forehead resting gently on hers.

"Why did you have to be so perfect?" she asked in a trembling voice.

"Perfect?" he laughed, pulling away to see her weak smile. "How so? I have caused you nothing but trouble. Nothing but pain. I am anything but perfect."

She smiled to him, her hands lacing behind his head once more and pulled him into her. She kissed him once more, but something was different. He had felt something he hadn't felt before. She kissed him with a passion that he had never felt before. jasmine couldn't help herself. She knew that if she didn't let it out, it would ruin her completely. If not now, then sometime soon.

She held him to her tightly, refusing to let him break away from her as she let herself explore his mouth, feeling things she had no idea she was capable of. Ahkmenrah was only human. There was no refusing her, nor would he want to. His grip tightened and for once he was grateful his muscles couldn't grow tired. but his mind was still spinning uncontrollably, his stomach fluttering. If he was left to stand where he was, he knew he was going to fall.

Keeping his mouth connected to hers, not wishing to break the blissfully contact, Ahkmenrah began to take a few steps forward, praying he wasn't going to hit anything. Slowly but surely, he felt her back hit the wall, something he could finally use to keep himself from toppling over. Still, her kissing continued, growing in intensity, in passion. She never wanted his touch to end.

The young man held tightly to her, but his hands began to slip. He tried his best to keep his grip but the fabric of her skirt was shifting too easily, making it nearly impossible. Fearing she might fall, he quickly let one hand move to her thigh, clamping his hand on her bare skin ensuring he could hold her. The young woman smiled to herself at the feeling of his skin to hers.

"Please don't leave me." he whispered to her as she struggled to breathe.

The young woman didn't reply. She didn't want to, but she wasn't going to lie to him. She wasn't going to tell him she would stay when she had no intention of doing so. For some reason, even a little white lie to him would kill her. She would never lie.

Knowing she was going to leave, Ahkmenrah wanted to make her stay. He took back everything he had convinced himself of the night before. He wasn't going to let her leave. He wasn't going to lose her again, but he wasn't going to force her. He was going to show her what she could have if she stayed, he was going to make her feel so happy, there was no question that she was going to remain with him. He would make her the happiest woman in the world, like he had promised when she was alive…

"I never want you to leave me…" he whispered, his mouth moving to her neck. "I want you to stay… Tell me you'll stay."

Again, she didn't reply. Her eyes closed, trying to keep the tears that were forming where they were. Her hands held the back of his head lovingly as she shivered, his hot breath gracing her neck as he spoke. Feeling her cling to him was all the conformation he needed. Smiling at his small victory, the young King gripped his headdress and flung it to the side, the loud clang of it hitting the marble rang loudly.

"Please…" he whispered to her once more as he placed small kisses along her neck. "Tell me you'll stay."

Again she remained quiet, holding his closer to her as she bit her lips. She tried to remain quiet, she tried to keep herself from crying. She only wanted him. Why wasn't he happy with that? Why was he trying to ruin this by forcing her to make false promises? Why couldn't he be happy with what they had, at least for the moment?

Still wanting to hear the words, the young Kind connected his mouth to her skin. The new sensation sent shivers down her spine with out her consent. He was more then capable of feeling her shake in his arms.

He felt himself begin to yearn for her, to feel everything that was the young woman in his arms. He wanted nothing more then to make her happy. He wanted her to feel the joy he felt. He simply wanted her. He pained to be with her. The young man groaned his discomfort at his increasing desire, pulling her closer to him to let her feel what she was doing to him. It was something she was more then a little aware of.

"Tell me…" he whispered again, his voice beginning to loose its delicate sound as it was replaced with a gruff tone.

His voice was filled with the same need she felt running through her veins. She couldn't control herself. She wanted to have him, if only for the one time. She simply wanted him.

"Please…" she whispered, her own voice filled with the same want he had. "Please my King."

It was more then enough for the Pharaoh. It had been centuries, millenniums, since he had been with a woman, his woman, and she didn't have to tell him twice. Thankful his people wore skirts, (for the most part) he was more then capable of maneuvering around it.

Jasmine tried to straighten her thoughts, tried to think of something she could say to him, anything that would make him understand. He desperate attempts at trying to steady her mind were soon shot down. She felt his mouth clamp down on her neck, nipping her lightly while his free hand gripped her thin panties tightly. With a quick jerk, the fabric was ripped from her body and tossed aside. Again, she tried to rationalize what was happening only to be silenced once more. With a quick movement, she felt him thrust inside her.

The young woman felt a scream escape her lips, though she heard nothing. There was nothing around her, no sound, no museum, nothing. There was only her heart beating in her chest, the man wrapped in her legs, nothing more.

Ahkmenrah remained motionless for a moment, unable to move from the overload of sensation. He hadn't felt anything so perfect, so sublime in so many years, he wasn't sure he could stand it. So there he remained, the young woman wrapped tightly around his waist, his head buried in her neck, kissing and biting her. He was completely enveloped in her in every way.

Slowly, Jasmine felt him move. The sensation caused more sounds to emanate from her throat though she still remained deaf to anything that wasn't her breathing. She knew that if she tried to think of what was going on, she would be lost forever. Instead, she tried to focus, tried to keep her head straight, trying not to think of the slight amount of pain resonating from the intrusion. Still he moved.

It was slow at first, but only at first. Once he was certain he could maintain himself, the young man repeated his previous action. Sliding in once more, he was elated to hear her coo in satisfaction. The sounds she made sent his heart racing, if it could, knowing he was the source. He had caused her so much pain in the past few days that he was elated to hear he was causing her pleasure as well. Again he moved.

He felt her fingers dig into his shoulders, not knowing when she had moved them under his robe, and not caring. As his motions picked up speed, she held on tighter, her nails most likely causing divots in his skin. The sensation sent shivers down his own spine as he continued to move.

The young woman moaned for him as she tried to steady herself. The world around her had gone blank, nothing but fuzzy images that held no sway with her at all. Again, he bit down on her neck as he thrust into her once more. She tried to quiet the sound, but there was no point. Ahkmenrah delighted in the sound echoing off the walls of his chamber. He moved faster.

Her body began to tingle, every nerve in her body screaming as he continued. The feelings resonating through her was more then someone her size was capable of holding in. If he didn't stop, she was going to burst.

"Please…" she gasped, hoping he would slow. She was wrong.

He pressed only harder. The sensations grew, becoming too much for her to control. With a loud scream, everything erupted within her. Her body shook as she held onto him tighter, trying to keep the room around her still, and having no luck. Her heart tried to break from her chest, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch her breath. Her head was spinning, her body was shaking, and no matter what she had felt for him before, it didn't compare to the love that swelled inside her right now. She wanted nothing more then to remain in his arms.

She felt herself begin to slack as the events that had taken place took their toll. She was tired, and her eyes were beginning to slip shut. Still he continued, but only briefly. she felt the young man shudder beneath her as his mouth clamped around her ear. He nipped it tenderly, a single name escaping his lips. And it wasn't hers…

She lost all hint of time after that. She didn't remember what happened after everything went black, only that she woke in his arms. Ahk had moved the two of them to the front of his crypt, holding her lovingly in her arms. When her eyes opened, still heavy from their lustful encounter, she saw him smiling down at her.

Slowly, the young woman stood, slowly pushing herself away from him. The smile on his face soon turned to question.

"Is something the matter?" he asked kindly, moving to help the wobbling woman stand completely.

"You truly love her, don't you?" she asked, her eyes trained on him.

"Who?"

"Mayati." she replied, anger boiling inside her.

"I did. Long ago."

"You called me Mayati when we…"

She couldn't even finish the sentence. Her eyes closed for a moment as she remembered the most wonderful thing that had ever happened in her life, only to have it crushed by one single word. She loved him, she was certain of it, but what was she supposed to do if she couldn't have him to herself?

"I'm not her." she finally replied, looking into his eyes once more.

She could tell he was conflicted. He wasn't even sure what she meant, and perhaps she shouldn't hold it against him. No one takes anyone seriously when they say something during the throws of passion. How could you? But this was different. He called her another woman's name, and not just any woman either. It was _her_ name.

Again, her eyes glassed over and the tears fell. Why did she care so much about what this man thought? He was dead. He wasn't real. He couldn't give her what she truly wanted in life. But she loved him. She knew the two of them were meant to be together, even if he didn't. And what would it matter if he did? Nothing could come of it. The relationship wouldn't progress. There was nowhere for this to go.

"I love you," he whispered. "I want you to stay."

The words tore at her heart. He loved her. She loved him. Without her consent, the tears fell again as she felt her body shake. Trying as hard as she could, she fought the sobs that wanted to break free.

"Stay with me, Jasmine." he said lovingly, holding his hand out for her to take.

"And live in your crypt?"

He hesistated, his hand wavering for a moment before he took another step forward.

"I realize now why I never slept, why I never more on to the underworld. I was waiting for you."

"Stop it." she cried, her voice shaking so hard, he wasn't sure he could understand her. "You don't know what you're talking about. All you've done was try to turn me into her."

"I was wrong. She wasn't the one I want. You are. Stay with me."

"No." she whispered, trying to catch her breath as he came closer. "Stay away from me."

"Tell me you don't love me." he snapped, his voice echoing in the large room as his hand fell to his side. "Tell me you don't love me and I will leave you alone. I will let you walk out of here without difficulty."

She tried to form the words. She tried to find them, buried within her cried but they wouldn't come. She swore she wouldn't lie to him, but maybe it was better if he thought she didn't love him. Maybe it would make things easier.

"I…" she muttered, trying to will her mouth to move.

"You what?" he asked, his eyes still loving despite the bitter tone of his voice.

"I don't…" she tried once more without luck. "I don't…"

"You don't what?" he snapped angrily.

"I don't love you!" she screamed, her knees immediately giving out under the weight of the lie. "I don't love you."

Her voice had become a whisper, a broken, trembling whisper that he hadn't been sure he heard. As h stood there, staring down at the woman that was trying hard to stop shaking, her knuckles turning white as she held her arms around her body.

"You're lying." he replied simply.

"No I'm not." she answered in a voice she wasn't sure was hers.

"Yes you are. If you were telling the truth, you wouldn't be in so much pain right now." he answered sweetly, coming to her side to hold her.

The moment his skin touched her bare shoulders, she jumped back, scrambling frantically to get to her feet. Her cheeks were stained with tears, her dark skin flushed bright pink.

"I can't remain here with you." she whispered, her brilliantly colored eyes staring at him. "You know I can't."

"I am begging you." he answered in a defeated voice. "A King on his knees."

She watched, her mouth hanging open as the man actually dipped to his knees as though he were a peasant.

"I was born a King, but I am nothing more then a man, wishing the woman he loved would stay."

"I can't." she answered, a new onslaught of tears forming.

Ahkmenrah's head fell at the answer. He had no choice. It was obviously causing her pain to refuse him and what kind of man would he be if he forced her to keep doing it? Slowly, he stood from his spot and stared into her eyes.

"Remain with me until morning? You don't have to return to see me tomorrow if you don't wish, but all I ask is that you stay until morning."

She weighed his request, trying her best to calculate everything. Glancing down at the delicate silver watch on her wrist, she found herself nodding. It was 5:54 a.m. less then fifteen minutes until the sun was set to rise.

Hesitantly, the young woman made her way to his side. Before he could do anything, the young Pharaoh wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him. If anything, he wished to comfort her, to make her feel better about everything he had done to her.

He never wanted this night to end, never wanted her to leave, but he knew it would. He was being selfish again, something he loathed. He was better then that. He had been trained his whole life to be compassionate, to be understanding. But when it came to her, he was anything but.

As he stood there holding her, he could only hope that she would think about his proposal while he slept, that she would be here when he woke again. He prayed to the gods to make it so, but part of him had to wonder if he deserved it. Whether or not she would remain didn't matter at the moment. She was here now, and he had been with her more thoroughly then he thought possible. He was happy for now.


	39. Chapter 39

**Okay everybody, this is the last and final chapter to 'A New Home for the Pharaoh'. I actually really like this story and I'm proud I finished it. I want to thank you guys for commenting and reviewing as much as you have and keeping with it after like, 5 months of nothing. I hope you like it and thanks again. Here you go!**

**Ch. 39: Always and Forever**

Weeks had passed but it paled in comparison to the pain he felt. She had left, she had actually left him. Despite the begging, despite the tears in his eyes, despite everything, she had turned around and walked out of the museum and out of his life forever. True she had waited until he slept, but he felt it the instant he left the building. He felt himself rip in two, one staying with him, the other burning to stay with her.

He kicked himself for not making her stay, making her do what he could. He was still her king. No. He quickly shook the thoughts from his head. Trying to control the situation is what brought him to this in the first place. He had to let her go… no matter how painful. The only thing that helped him survive this time, was the memories of their time together, their time in his tomb the last night she was there.

His feet fell hard as he made his way to the lobby, not bothering with the royal grace he had been trained to have since birth. He didn't care anymore. Why would he? Twice she left him. Twice. A man can only handle so much before he is broken.

As he rounded the corner, he saw Larry, a wide smile adorning his face, Rebecca at his side. If he had to be positive, Rebecca seemed to be bouncing. She was lightly jumping up and down, her hands clamped tightly together in front of her chest, a wide smile on her face. It was unnerving.

"We have a surprise for you!" she declared happily as he came closer.

The pharaoh glanced to his friend who simply nodded.

"I am in no mood for surprises. Thank you just the same."

"You'll want this one man." Larry smiled.

"No thank you."

"Awe come on. Just take it." Rebecca pushed.

"The woman I have loved for more then three millennia's has left me because she can not give me her heart like I have for her." he replied. His voice was still calm but his expression was angry. "So please forgive me if I do not accept."

Hoping he had explained his point of view to them, he turned to leave.

"It's from Jasmine." Larry replied.

The three simple words held more sway with the man then he had ever thought. She hadn't tried to contact him at all during this time, not bothering with so much as a letter or a call to his friends. But she had sent him a present?

"She said it was for your birthday. She said she missed your last one when she was…" Rebecca began.

He nodded his head, knowing she was referring to the night Mayati had been taken from him, three days before his birthday.

"But I wish to make it up to you my King."

The voice was soft and lyrical. His heart would have beaten through his chest of it could. His breathing became erratic and he was certain that if it held sway with him any longer, he would have fainted. Still smiling, his two friends moved to the side, revealing the source.

There she was, behind them. She was wearing her same priestess garb that he had loved so much, her hands delicately crossed in front of her, her head dipped low as she stayed in her knelt position. He felt the distance between them close much quicker then it should have, but he didn't care.

With a still shaking hand, he placed two finger under her chin, motioning for her to look into his eyes. They were the same as before. Her bright green eyes shined back at him, smiling the way he had hoped they would when she saw him again.

Unable to control himself, Ahkmenrah pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. She even smelled the same as he remembered. The moment was perfect, it was glorious, it was the culmination of everything he had ever wanted. It was… it was… it was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

Grabbing her shoulders and pulling her back from him to better assess, he began to inspect her. He paced around her body, her head following him as he walked. The line to her back was the same, the curve of her hips, the silhouette, her eyes. Everything. Seeing her veil, he gripped the side and with the same sure hands from his youth, removed it. She smiled to him kindly. Her lips were even the same. Then what, what was it about this young woman that was so wrong?

Slowly, he motioned for her hand. Obliging him, the young woman extended her arm. She was warm, something he had expected. Her skin was soft under his touch, something else he was sure of. But as he held her wrist, he finally understood what it was. Hesitantly, the young King pulled her closer to him, still staring into her perfect eyes. When she was mere inches from him, he moved to kneel down. The others watched as the young man placed his ear against her chest.

Ahkmenrah shot back from her, nearly tripping over his robes in the process. He stood there, trying to steady himself as he watched her move closer.

"There is no heart beat." he replied with fear in his voice.

"No." she answered simply. Even the voice was the same.

"What are you?"

"Wax."

The answer was a simple word but the impact it held was tremendous. Wax.

"How is this possible?"

"I was made from her body." she answered, her hand lightly touching his frightened face, trying to sooth him. "She was my mold, and when she was finished with me, she gave me my life."

He couldn't help the furrowing of his brow as he wrenched his face from the imposter's hand. He was confused.

"She wanted you to have someone to love until she was ready."

"Ready?"

"I was made with the promise that when she is close to the end of her life, her soul will join mine once more." she said with a smile.

"You are not Jasmine." he said angrily pulling back from her.

"No." she answered simply. "I am part of Jasmine."

"Explain yourself before I melt you down myself." he snapped.

"She has pledged her heart and soul for you. I am her heart." she said with a soft smile, her delicate hands closing over her chest. "And when she passes, her soul will join you forever."

"But you are not her. A person only has one soul." he replied. He couldn't decide if he felt betrayed, or disgusted by the figure.

"No. But you know yourself, she has two in her body."

His eyes grew wide once more as he reached out for her. The young woman lovingly stepped into his arms, her eyes still trained to him.

"What is your name?"

"I am the High Priestess, Mayat-Su-Namun, daughter of Ayati, rightful guardian of the Tablet of the Four Souls." she said with her smile still visible. "And forever yours."

He held her close to him, nearly squeezing the life from her if he could. He had never been so happy in all his years then he was right now. He had his Mayati. She was back and with him she would stay forever. He was never going to let her leave his side.

That night, the young king watched as his new companion took her stance next to the tablet, a new plaque stating who she was. He smiled to himself as he climbed into his coffin, snapping the lid shut when he did. As he laid there, waiting for the night to leave and the day to take him, his mind wandered to the young woman.

She had given him so much. Hope. Taught him to love once more. And now a piece of her soul to share everything with for the rest of eternity. As he thought more and more about her, he realized something.

It was Jasmine that brought him out of the fog that had become his life. It was Jasmine that made him happy again. It was Jasmine that had pledged her love for him even after what he had done. The time for him and Mayati had passed long ago, and now he understood that. It was Jasmine he loved, always and forever.


	40. Chapter 40

**I still get so many people adding this to their favorites and reading it that I had to do this, just HAD to. Besides, 40 is a nice round number and 39 just never seemed right. Let me know what you think cause the title pretty much sums it up. Enjoy!**

Chapter 40: Bittersweet Memories

The old woman paced through her room, admiring the life she had built for herself, the people she had filled it with, the ones she loved. She strolled awkwardly across the room, stopping in front of the bookcase that held the pictures of everything she had filled her life with. A smile crossed her withered face at all of the ones smiling back to her as she leaned on her cane.

There was one, displayed happily in the center, of a young woman in a white dress. Her hair was pulled back in an up-do, curls hanging down in sparse places, and bright green, happy eyes shining back. The man next to her was tall, much taller than she was, with the same bronzed skin and brown eyes. He looked familiar but not enough. They both seemed so happy, holding one another's hands under the ornate archway in their best formal wear, but the happiness in the young woman's eyes was false, never fooling the older woman who peered back.

Another was of the same woman, a few years older, holding a baby girl in her arms, wrapped tightly in a soft pink cocoon of a blanket in the hospital bed, the man from the previous picture holding her twin. Their first and last born. Each had their mother's bright eyes, her smile and her face, something their father always joked he was grateful for.

To the left was another picture, set years after the first, eighteen to be exact. The two young girls that were once so small, now stood beside their parents with a cap and gown, holding their diplomas high in the air. Again, the mother held a false sense of happiness in her eyes that fooled no one who knew her well enough.

Then there were the ones of the same women that donned the cap and gowns, holding children of their own. The old woman was in one, holding her two grandchildren, one a boy, the other a girl. She was happy in this one, but the old woman could see in herself, that there had always been a hole in her heart that nothing, despite their best efforts, would fill completely.

Slowly, she made her way to her empty bed, the place she had slept alone now for the past seven months after her husband died unexpectedly. There, on the nightstand beside her where it always stayed, was a picture of her at her dig in Cairo, the one where she had found numerous artifacts that had made her and her father so happy, solidifying her career in the process. The dig had been so fruitful, and yet it was the one that hurt the most and cost her everything. She had left the man she had truly loved to dig in the dirt. At the time she had thought she wanted it, and maybe she had. But looking back, she wasn't sure if it was the right thing for her to do. It's natural, perhaps, to question your decisions after making them, the classic 'the grass is always greener' proverb, but it was rare when it seemed so true.

Her life had been filled with laughter and joy, happiness at every turn and yet she couldn't help but imagine the place where everything seemed better. She never regretted her life, nor the children and grandchildren she had, she just felt they were with the wrong man. Joseph treated her well until the day he died, never fussing over her when she would wake in tears, never saying a cold word to her the entire time they were together. He was, to any woman who was lucky enough to have him, the perfect man. The problem was, he wasn't _her_ perfect man.

She hadn't lied when she said she would never return to the museum, nor when she said she didn't belong. She knew in her head she didn't, no matter how her heart screamed against it. Sitting in the tomb, night after night as she aged and he remained the same wasn't the life she wanted. And she knew, it wasn't the life he wanted her to have either. Instead, she left and found the things he could never give her.

A few times, the museum had crossed her mind, more than a few actually. She dreamt about it almost every night, and when she did she awoke in the tears she could never explain to her husband. She refused to tell him, not for fear of sounding insane, but for fear of hurting him. He was a good man, and didn't deserve the burden of being compared to a dead man.

She had even tried, a few times, going back, but once she reached the front of the large building, she froze. She would stand there, looking like a statue she was sure, for what seemed like hours, debating whether or not she should even walk through the front door. She never did. She knew, if she walked through the front door, the next step would be the tomb, the tomb that held too many memories and emotions for her small body to handle. And they would never force her if they saw her, Rebecca and Larry, or Mr. and Mrs. Daley. She had attended the wedding, keeping in close contact with them, even now.

The old woman lay in bed, the picture in her hand as she remembered his face. His perfect face was etched into her mind forever and she wouldn't have it any other way. After a while, it had been easier for her to avoid the museum, to not have the urge to enter and see him, but he would always be there when she fell asleep. Every night he would awaken her and take her on another adventure, of they would sit and talk until the sun came up and he had to sleep. Every night was different, and every night was special.

She had kept the notes too, the ones that they had written one another when she was young and stupid. To her, they were the only proof she really had that he was real. She had something tangible, something she could cherish other than memories. Memories fade, or change slightly, and though she was certain the ones of him didn't, the notes made sure it would never truly happen.

She smiled to herself as the images of him filled her mind once more as she drifted to sleep, a tear forming in each eye as it tended to do whenever he entered her thoughts. But she still smiled. He wouldn't want her to be sad when she thought of him, but it was all she could do. He was bittersweet, in every meaning of the word. She didn't have a good thought of him, or dream, without feeling the inevitable coldness when she woke up to find him gone.

Her heart ached with the absence of him, but she pushed it aside. It was a familiar feeling, enough so she knew how to cope. Jasmine lay there, thinking of all she had accomplished, just by telling him goodbye. Her beautiful daughters were happy, smart, successful and had children of their own who were turning out just as brilliant. She had a husband that had adored her more than she deserved. She had everything. Everything, and nothing. That was the thought that always accompanied her to bed. It didn't matter as she fell asleep, once again, without him. But, he would be in her dreams, forever and always.

His eyes were heavy and Ahkmenrah, the Fourth King of the Four Kings, didn't want to emerge. He had trouble getting out of his coffin most of the time, willing someone to just turn the center piece so he may sleep and be with _her_ for all eternity like he wanted. But it never happened. Almost sixty years now, and still, he would awaken.

Having his priestess by his side was nice, but it wasn't the same. He had tried to explain it to Larry when he was still the night guard, that despite them looking, and sounding the same, they weren't. Mayati wasn't Jasmine, nor would she ever be. He had hoped, for the first decade or longer, that she would return to him. But every night, it would be the same. She would never come. He had to rely on the word of a friend to let him know she was happy.

He still remembered it, hearing she was married. The sentence had been the most painful thing he had ever felt, including the blade that had ended his life. Nothing was more debilitating then those words he thought. He had been wrong. To hear she had not only one child, but two with the man that wasn't him was worse, and hearing she was happy was worse still. He had sunk into a perpetual darkness that no one could raise him from. He didn't deserve her anyway, not after what he had done to her. He knew he had only deluded himself into thinking she would come back, knowing in his heart that she would run and never return, if anything because she was scared. He had done unspeakable things to her without her permission, and one night of passion and him professing his love, would not make up for his complete disregard for her feelings and safety.

So there he was, for the thousandth time, rising from his coffin in the same museum he had been in all these years. Gods how he wished they would have moved him by now, but they never did. For some reason, the museum had leased his exhibit for another ten years after this before he would either get moved, or go into storage. He was hoping for storage. He would never tell the others, the few that remained behind after this long time, that he wished the tablet to be removed, or him even, just to keep from seeing the sadness in their faces, but it was the truth. How he prayed to be rid of the contraption and location that screamed Jasmine's name to him every night he awoke.

"Good evening my King." a soft voice said.

He turned, seeing Mayati bow to him with her impish smile as she did every night. He smiled in return. Oh how he wished even more that she wasn't here. At first it had been nice, that Jasmine had made her for him, but now it seems a cruel joke. He already breathed the woman he had lost but now he must look at her ageless face for all eternity and know in his heart it wasn't her. But still, he was a King, and Mayati had been the woman he loved so long ago, so he had to be polite to say the least.

"Good evening Mayati." he replied as he stepped out of the coffin and onto the marble floor.

He glared at his surroundings, at the soldiers that were mobilizing around him and his priestess, the room still in the same fashion Jasmine had left it. The Gods truly did hate him.

With her on his arm, and the sounds of the museum filling his ears, Ahkmenrah made his way to the lobby to watch over his kingdom. The night guard he had now, Jason, had taken a bit getting used to. He was a nice enough guy, but hadn't taken to this experience as well as Larry had, which is saying something.

But as he walked out to the perch he and his best friend of all those years shared, he noticed something. A man, with the whitest shade of hair, was standing with his back to him, speaking with Jason. He felt as though his heart would skip a beat at the thought of another person, elderly at that, in the museum after hours. But slowly the man turned, flashing an all but too familiar smile.

"Larry!" Ahk exclaimed as he walked to his friend, hugging him tightly. "You're beginning to stay away longer than usual."

"Sorry Ahk, but normal people tend to get old." he teased before his face turned slightly sad. "But… that's not why I'm here man."

"What is it?" Ahkmenrah asked almost scared of the answer.

"It's Jasmine."

His heart fell. What could happen now? Did she get married again? Did she tell Larry she didn't want to have anything to do with him or the museum anymore?

"Ahk she passed away today."

No. It was worse. She was gone, flushed from the mortal coil.

"Are… are they certain?" he asked with a sad face.

Larry nodded, his hand touching the stone faced Pharaoh's shoulder.

"I know you still loved her." he muttered under his breath. Of course he knew, everyone knew. After all this time, his undying love hadn't wavered for the young woman in her absence and never would even now.

"Was she…"

"Yeah." Larry answered, knowing the man's question. Hell, he had spent the better part of a century with him, he knew the pharaoh like the back of his hand. "It was peaceful. And yeah, she was happy. She had the life you couldn't give her Ahk. You did the right thing letting her go."

He had been told that so many times over the years, that he had done the right thing. But there was a problem with that.

"It never felt like I did." he answered in a quiet voice.

"I never forgot you." a soft voice said. "Or my promise to you."

The two men turned with a questioning look to Mayati. Her face was down, her hands clamped into one another before she slowly looked up.

"Mayati?" Ahkmenrah asked in hesitation.

"Seriously?" she asked with an exaggerated breath. "We don't look that much alike."

"Jasmine!" Larry and Ahk exclaimed in unison.

The young woman smiled wide as Ahkmenrah charged her, grabbing her in his arms as he pulled her to him in a death grip. He knew, if she weren't wax, that he would squeeze the life from her, but he couldn't let go, he wouldn't let go. She was here, with him, forever.

He set her down on the ground, his forehead resting on hers as his hands came to her cheeks, holding her to him as he felt his body shake with pure joy and elation. He laughed nervously, something she did as well, before opening his eyes. It was still her, still the woman he had pledged his undying love for, held tightly in his hands.

"I've missed you so much." she whispered, barely able to get the words out of her mouth before she was silenced with his.

Ahkmenrah felt a euphoria take his body as he touched his lips to the only woman he had ever truly wanted, the only one he really loved. The room began to spin, but he held tight to her if only to steady himself. A throat clear ended their contact. The young woman laughed as she turned to a smiling Larry.

"You look good Jazz." he laughed as she came up and hugged him. "Too bad you can't do that for me."

"Are you forgetting our little friend?" she teased, pointing to his twin of a guard. The man nearly scowled at the figure who seemed oblivious to what was being said.

"I worked here twenty years and never got used to that thing." he laughed. "But I'm good. Becca would kill me!"

The two Egyptians laughed before the young woman felt arms around her waist pulling her back to the man she had longed for all her life.

"Promise you'll never leave." he whispered into her ear.

The young woman turned and placed her hands on his cheeks, smiling the smile that would bring a man to his knees before placing a loving kiss on his lips.

"Never again." she answered in a soft tone. "Never again."

~Fin~

**Truly the end! yay! Closure! lol. Let me know please! I will beg for reviews :)**


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